Safety & Security
School Safety
The safety and security of students, staff and visitors in the Commerce Independent School District is paramount. CISD strives to ensure a safe environment for employees to work and students to concentrate on learning, developing and achieving academic excellence.
- Students and staff are trained and practice Standard Response Protocol (SRP). SRP includes 4 specific actions that can be performed in the event of any threat or incident on or near campus: LOCKDOWN, LOCKOUT, EVACUATE, and SHELTER. These responses are taught and practiced regularly throughout the year in the form of drills. Additionally, all CISD staff undergo mandatory CRASE (Civilian Response to an Active Shooter Event) training annually.
- Commerce ISD has a full-time Police Department. CISD PD Officers are present in our school buildings throughout the day, and provide security at after school functions.
- During the school day, visitor entry at all campuses is limited to the front/main entrance of the building. Visitors must buzz-in to enter our buildings. All exterior doors remain locked, and students and staff are instructed never to open a door to allow someone to enter.
- All campuses utilize the Raptor Visitor Management System, which requires all visitors with appropriate business to undergo screening prior to gaining access to the building.
- All staff and visitors must wear prominently displayed district-issued identification or visitor badges.
- Surveillance cameras monitor activity inside and outside all Commerce ISD buildings.
- Safety and security audits are performed at CISD schools throughout the year.
- CISD Police Department maintains a close working relationship with Commerce Police Department and the A&M Commerce UPD; and frequently works together with these departments to investigate potential concerns.
- CISD has additional measures and protocols in place to protect campuses that are only shared with specific personnel, and not made public for security reasons.
Any security measures and protocols, when observed diligently, help to maintain secure buildings and promote safety; however, the most valuable tool we have in protecting lives is the human element. CISD strongly urges families to remind their children how important it is to immediately report any safety concern, prohibited item, safety related threats or rumors, threatening online activity, and/or any suspicious behavior they observe.
Families with suggestions, questions, or concerns are encouraged to contact their campus principal.
Standard Response Protocol
If an emergency occurs at one of our campuses or buildings, there is often not much time to warn students, staff and visitors about what is happening and what to do. For this reason, Commerce ISD has implemented the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) at all of its campuses and facilities.
The SRP is not based on individual scenarios, but rather teaches a predictable series of actions to respond to any given scenario. District administrators, staff and students are trained in the SRP through frequent drills.
Bullying and Harassment
Bullying (also in the form of cyber bullying, harassment or intimidation) is serious and will not be tolerated by CISD. The district is required to investigate any report of bullying as required by HB 1942, Texas Education Code 21.451 and district policy.
Reporting Procedures – Any student who believes that he or she has experienced bullying, discrimination, harassment or retaliation should immediately report the problem to a teacher, counselor, principal or other district employee. To report an incident of bullying or harassment, use our Bullying Reporting form. Select Bullying/School Safety and the school associated with the incident. The appropriate administrators will be notified.
