The Dallas Independent School District will consider revising its Code of Conduct following a recent shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School.
The proposed changes, slated for discussion at a school board meeting on Thursday, focus on increasing punishments for students who open locked, secured doors, a response to an April 15 incident in which a student allowed an alleged shooter into Wilmer-Hutchins High School through a side door.
The gunman, identified as 17-year-old Tracy Haynes, allegedly shot and injured four students, and a teacher was injured when a bullet passed through a wall and grazed her face, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“We need to make sure that we hold our children accountable,” Dallas ISD Trustee Maxie Johnson said, per CBS News Texas. “We need to make sure that we are protecting our community, and children are safe in our school.”
The shooting has heightened concerns about school safety, prompting the district to address security alongside academic challenges at its State of the District event on Tuesday. The event provided a platform for teachers, leaders, and community members to discuss the district’s direction, including its response to a recent drop in state ratings from a B to a C, as reported by the Texas Education Agency for the 2023 school year.
“It’s an opportunity for DISD to come together with all the teachers and leaders in the district to really talk about where we are as a district,” said New Tech High School Principal Channel Hutchinson, per CBS.
The proposed Code of Conduct revisions aim to reinforce security protocols across Dallas ISD, the largest school district in North Texas, with approximately 140,000 students.
Under the current Code of Conduct guidelines, opening a locked, secure door is a Level II offense, which could result in punishments such as community service or detention. Under the proposed new guidelines, opening a locked, secure door would be considered a Level III offense, which would result in the student being placed in a disciplinary alternative education program.
“When you go do something that is against the code of conduct and against the policy and produce of Dallas ISD, there will be consequences,” Johnson said, per Fox 4 KDFW. “It’s time to let them know we are going to have real consequences because you are bringing violence in our community. In our school. Our superintendent has dealt with that harshly, and we are going to make sure that is handled, and the policies are passed.”