Safety and Security

District Police Department

Castleberry ISD Police Department Logo

Castleberry ISD currently has a team of six police officers, including a Chief of Police, and investigative police officer. Officers patrol and monitor the interior and exterior of each campus throughout the day to ensure all children are safe and protected while at school and at extra-curricular events.

Each of these officers has earned a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Peace Officer License and has prior experience working in law enforcement. The district’s Police Department maintains a positive partnership with the City of River Oaks, Sansom Park, and Fort Worth Police Departments to ensure the quickest response when emergencies arise.

Campus Security Monitors

Campus security monitors provide additional security and assist campus administration with maintaining a safe and secure school environment. This includes supervising students in the cafeteria, hallways, restrooms, school grounds, parking lots, athletic facilities, bus loading areas, and more. Each hall monitor is required to complete the Castleberry ISD safety training course to learn de-escalation and defensive tactics.

The district has hired these additional campus monitors to monitor the exterior of the building throughout the day. Security monitors may be found circling the campus on golf carts, or on foot to check for any suspicious activity and ensure exterior doors are locked and not propped open.

Visitor Management System

The campus receptionist utilizes the district's visitor management system, which ensures all visitors to a campus identify their reason for visiting, child’s name/teacher (if applicable), and complete the electronic check in process using their state issued identification (ID).

Locked Doors

All exterior doors, including the main entry, remain locked throughout the day to ensure students and employees are safe. To gain entry to a campus, a visitor must ring a “video doorbell,” and inform the campus receptionist the reason for visiting the campus and their child's name. Once inside the office, the visitor will provide ID and be checked in. District personnel who are approved to be at each campus are provided access with their employee ID.

Castleberry ISD campus and district personnel constantly survey the campuses throughout the day to ensure all exterior doors are securely locked and are not propped open.

Cameras

All buildings are equipped with interior and exterior cameras. These cameras are always recording, and are monitored throughout the day by district and campus security personnel who watch for suspicious people, behavior, and unauthorized access.

Mandatory Safety Drills

Castleberry ISD implements all safety practices and guidelines recommended by the Texas School Safety Center. This includes mandatory safety drills and trainings, an emergency operations plan for all campuses, as well as regular safety and security audits as required by the Texas Education Code.

External Safety Audit

Law enforcement agencies are audited at least once every five years by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Castleberry ISD Police Department was audited in fall 2021. During this audit, no deficiencies were noted.

Reunification Process

In the event of an emergency, Castleberry ISD has an established procedure for reunification. Parents/Guardians will be notified by school officials and the Castleberry ISD Police Department to their child’s specific location via phone call, text message, and e-mail sent using School Messenger, the district’s mass broadcast message system. During the reunification process, it is important parents remain calm and patient while law enforcement and district officials work to safely release students to parents.

In order to receive notifications from Castleberry ISD in a timely manner, it is important for parents to ensure their contact information in Skyward Family Access is correct. To learn how to update contact information in Skyward Family Access, visit the district’s Contact Preferences webpage.


Notice Regarding Refusal of Entry or Ejection and Appeals Process

Access to District Property

Authorized District officials, including school resource officers and District police officers if applicable, may refuse to allow a person access to property under the District's control in accordance with law.

District officials may request assistance from law enforcement in an emergency or when a person is engaging in behavior rising to the level of criminal conduct.

Ejection or Exclusion

In accordance with Education Code 37.105, a District official shall provide a person refused entry to or ejected from property under the District's control written information explaining the right to appeal such refusal of entry or ejection under the District's grievance process.

A person appealing under the District's grievance process shall be permitted to address the Board in person within 90 calendar days of filing the initial complaint, unless the complaint is resolved before the Board considers it. [See FNG(LOCAL) and GF(LOCAL)]

Off-Campus Activities

Employees shall be designated to ensure appropriate conduct of participants and others attending a school-related activity at non-District or out-of-District facilities. Those so designated shall coordinate their efforts with persons in charge of the facilities.

Prohibitions: Tobacco, E-Cigarettes, Weapons

The District prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco products and e-cigarettes on District property, in District vehicles, or at school-related activities.

The District prohibits the unlawful use, possession, or display of any firearm, location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon, as defined at FNCG, on all District property at all times.

No violation of this policy occurs when:

  • A Texas handgun license holder stores a handgun or other firearm in a locked vehicle in a parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area provided by the District, as long as the handgun or other firearm is not in plain view; or

  • The use, possession, or display of an otherwise prohibited weapon takes place as part of a District-approved activity supervised by proper authorities. [See FOD(LEGAL)]