Safety & Security

Educational organizations are easy, lucrative targets for cybercriminals. Successful scams can compromise sensitive data, steal funds from stretched budgets, and erode public trust. Promoting an all-hands-on-deck mentality is the best way to combat the growing threat, but that can be challenging.

Before the holiday season ramps up, there is something approximately 328 million Americans need to do—in unison. Every year on the first Sunday in November, residents of most states move their clocks back one hour. For drivers, there is fallout associated with “falling back.”

So often, when people hear the term cybersecurity, they think of digital attacks against electronic information systems secured by sophisticated software. Though this description is accurate, it isn’t comprehensive. Cybersecurity also includes non-digital elements, such as physical security and human psychology. In fact, one of the most common cyber scams, known as phishing, relies on deception to manipulate people into sharing confidential or personal information through email.

Your organization’s laptops and mobile devices house personally identifiable information (PII) such as birthdates, addresses, social security numbers, medical records, and bank account numbers. If you sell, donate, or dispose of electronic devices without properly wiping them clean, all that PII goes with them.

Science labs, as well as vocational instruction areas, contain toxic, corrosive, flammable, reactive, and poisonous chemicals that are used for a variety of reasons. The law prohibits hazardous chemicals from being poured down the drain or thrown in the trash. That does not mean excess and expired chemicals should gather dust on long-forgotten shelves. If you are looking for a safe, legal way to dispose of hazardous chemicals, consider lab packing.

Cybersecurity isn’t just a technical problem. It’s a people problem, and it’s impacting school districts across the state. TASB Privacy and Cyber Risk Consultant Lucas Anderson recently shared his expertise on this topic during a TASB Talks podcast.

Whether threatened by a hurricane or by the wind, rain, tornadoes, or floods that can result, you should prepare for the potential impact of such a storm.

A community approach to building safe and secure schools benefits principals and helps prepare for a variety of emergencies. Managing budgets, evaluating staff, and implementing academic programs are just a handful of duties competing for campus administrators’ attention. They also must carve out time for an extremely important responsibility: ensuring schools remain safe. Too often, administrators shoulder that responsibility alone, but new requirements from the 86th Session of the Texas Legislature encourages community partnerships to increase the safety of schools.

Administrators, teachers, support staff, and students aren’t the only Texans going back to school this time of year. As summer winds down, more than 6,000 crossing guards are reporting to their posts on street corners across the state.

The start of a school year brings new opportunities, new challenges, and unfortunately, new risks. Increasingly, these emerging risks begin in the cyber domain and target school districts. To prevent a successful cyberattack against your district, it is imperative that leadership and staff stay informed. Let’s examine four of the most significant new threats you need to know about and identify methods for anticipating these risks.

Whether you are a superintendent, transportation director, teacher, or risk manager, you likely have many checklists to go through as you get ready to go back to school. As you complete your to-do lists, we want to provide you with some quick tips to help you make safety a year-round initiative.  

Chief William Edwards has seen firsthand the power of school-based law enforcement (SBLE) to make campuses safer and more secure. He helped establish the Pflugerville ISD Police Department in 2008 and served as its chief for over eight years. In 2017, Edwards answered Hippo Nation’s call to lead the Hutto ISD police department. In this article, he uses his expertise to answer a few questions about school-based law enforcement.

In most workplaces, initiatives that boost the bottom line earn a coveted line item in the budget. The public education sector is no exception.

With ongoing construction, road work, and outdoor activities on school campuses, it is not feasible to avoid having employees at your organization work in the heat. There are, however, steps you can take to beat the heat and illnesses that can come along with it.

Cybersecurity and school safety and security were major topics during the 86th Session of the Texas Legislature–two bills were passed related to these topics that require additional staff training. Summaries of these bills are provided below.

Law enforcement has a long history of working with schools to enhance safety and security. While the tactics have changed, the goal of School-Based Law Enforcement (SBLE) initiatives such as school resource officer programs and campus police has stayed the same: to improve relationships between local police and youth.

Summer school, meetings, camps, and sporting events are just some of the activities that will soon play out on campuses across Texas. As schools continue to open their doors to the community this summer, it is important to keep safety and security as much a priority as it is during the school year.

Flooding can result in serious vehicle and property claims, health concerns, school closures, and many other outcomes that could negatively impact your organization. It is important to know risks, be aware of your coverage, and have a plan in place in the event that your organization is impacted by a flood.

Imagine someone breaking into your house, staying there undetected for four years, and stealing from you the entire time. That is exactly what happened to global hotel chain Marriott, virtually speaking.

Texas public schools face many daily challenges to functioning smoothly. Out of necessity, key players at school districts and other educational entities wear many hats. A single employee may play the role of a teacher, coach, and driver. One key factor to understand is that these staff members are primed for distraction—and driving while distracted can be deadly.

In the wake of the most recent outbreak of measles in the United States, health officials are issuing health alerts and urging immunizations against this highly contagious illness.

We often receive questions from Fund members about buying or renting inflatable bounce houses or moon walks for school carnivals or celebrations. Sometimes these events are managed by the school and sometimes by a parent organization or booster club.   

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), flu activity is increasing across the state. With flu season typically peaking in January or February, organizations should be mindful of best practices for flu prevention and mitigation.

Employees in the education sector navigate workplace hazards every day. Groundskeepers work in the elements, science teachers mix volatile chemicals, and trained maintenance personnel repair or replace faulty outlets and circuit breakers. Still, the leading cause of workplace injuries has nothing to do with heat indexes, hydrochloric acid, or high-voltage electricity.

The day started like any other. Staff arrived at school and prepared for the business of educating young minds. But when they tried to log into their computers, they realized someone arrived long before them, wrapped up their own business, locked the computers, and left an ominous message behind: “The files on this computer have been encrypted. You have seven days to submit payment via bitcoin or all files will be permanently deleted.”

Student privacy and school security should go hand-in-hand as you create and evaluate your emergency operations plans. The new year is a perfect time to ensure balance between these two important responsibilities by reviewing your policies and procedures.

New Year’s Resolutions often go by the wayside by mid-January, but that doesn’t mean the resolutions should be abandoned. This is especially important when it comes to plans related to health, safety, and security. It’s not too late to develop resolutions that help ensure our schools remain healthy, safe, and secure environments. Let common sense and these recommendations not only guide you into a safe new year, but also give you a head start on this year’s audit process. 

With the holiday season in full swing, school districts should remain on high alert for cybercriminals looking to take advantage of the hustle and bustle. We recently saw a trend in phishing campaigns against Texas schools that resulted in significant financial loss. We encourage everyone to take extra precautions to avoid landing on Santa’s naughty list, or worse, falling victim to cyberattacks during the holidays.

The days are getting shorter and the holidays are beckoning, but that does not mean our responsibilities cool off with the weather. The Fund wants to help members be prepared for winter so they can avoid wasteful claims, resources spent repairing damage, and the time spent getting things back in order.

Teacher salaries, student transportation, and facilities maintenance are just a handful of the many line items on school districts’ budgets. Right now, criminals could be trying to steal your much-needed funds and, ultimately, compromise your ability to deliver a quality education to Texas school children.

During election seasons, school campuses are often used as polling places. In many communities or voting precincts, schools are among the few locations suitable for elections. Local school campuses are preferred locations because they are recognizable in the community, are easily accessible and ADA compliant, and often have space available.

Decorations fill the school hallways as part of the festivities of Halloween. Amid the fun, games, and excitement, it is easy to overlook safety and security practices. Let common sense and these basic reminders guide you in making Halloween a safe and fun event for everyone.

The TASB Risk Management Fund hosted a safety and security summit September 13, 2018, at the Austin Marriott North in Round Rock and online. There were 120 on-site attendees and approximately 100 virtual attendees, consisting of Texas school administrators and their law enforcement community. The summit featured a variety of speakers who highlighted the importance of facilitating collaboration and communication to keep schools safe.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, but creating a culture of cyber awareness should be an ongoing effort all year long. Did you know the TASB Risk Management Fund (Fund) provides Privacy & Information Security coverage, training, and resources to Liability and Property members at no additional cost?

While most people are probably aware of the potential consequences of driving while intoxicated, many may not know that fatigue can have the same impact on judgement and reaction times. The TASB Risk Management Fund (Fund) recommends that all drivers get an adequate amount of rest and pay attention to signs of driver fatigue, whether you are a bus driver, teacher, superintendent, or in another position at your organization.

Extracurricular activities, such as team building activities and volunteer events, often spark unique and interesting questions about workers’ compensation coverage. Here, we offer answers to the most common question as well as practical tips for supervisors to consider related to workers’ compensation coverage and special events and activities.

September is National Preparedness Month, and a good time remember that preparedness is part of our everyday lives—at home, at school, and throughout the community.

The end of summer is quickly approaching, and those in public education are shifting back into their academic lives. Maintaining and enhancing safety in your schools should be an ongoing process, but August is always a good time to focus on starting the year with safety. This includes workplace safety, student safety, and employee safety.

Workplace safety starts with making sure that employees are enforcing safety procedures. This includes everyone from superintendents to principals, teachers, food service staff, and bus drivers.

When Dennis Williams began his career in education in Beaumont 17 years ago, he had no idea that interaction with local law enforcement would become a regular part of his school schedule. Collaboration with law enforcement is an important part of his duties as assistant superintendent of Administrative and Pupil Services at Longview ISD, and this partnership has bolstered safety and security across the district’s campuses. The emphasis placed on partnering with law enforcement reflects the changing attitudes of what constitutes a safe, healthy learning environment and how the role of schools in their respective communities has changed.

Would you know a phishing attack if you saw one in an e-mail? Attempts to access sensitive and personal data within an organization are accomplished through this simple but damaging act. Are your employees trained to be on alert for suspicious e-mails, and do they know what to do if they receive one?

Heat stress is a condition that can cause several types of heat related illnesses. Risks for these illnesses are high when environmental heat factors combine with the body’s failure to regulate its internal core temperature. The body combats heat with increased breathing, sweating, and changes in blood flow.

School campuses are often chosen as polling places because they are recognizable in the community, easily accessible for those with access and functional needs, and have ample space available. School districts should be prepared to address the increase in pedestrian traffic in and around school buildings and the increase in vehicle traffic entering and parking on school grounds.

Recent incidents in Texas and across the nation remind us of the importance of comprehensive emergency management programs. Schools must be prepared to respond effectively and efficiently to an emergency or catastrophic event in order to achieve the best possible outcome for students, staff, and the community.

In light of recent school security incidents, here is a small reminder to Fund members of their responsibilities related to emergency operations plans. TASB Legal Services has issued the following guidance regarding the sharing of these plans.

To ensure a safe and healthy learning environment, school districts and community colleges must take steps to mitigate incidents, such as fires, by performing regular fire surveys and working with the local Fire Marshal to ensure that they are meeting the fire code where they are located.

Emergency management helps school officials keep public schools the safe havens for students they are expected to be.

As school districts and other educational entities get ready for the holidays, safety and security must be an ongoing effort. Let this poem serve as a reminder of the steps needed to ensure a safe and healthy holiday season.

Slips, trips and falls cause an estimated 10 percent of injuries nationally, and one occurs nearly every three seconds. 

Falling from one foot or five feet does not seem to be a big deal to many people, but the impact is greater than you think. Falls do not just cause scrapes and bruises; people can become permanently disabled or even killed, resulting in millions of dollars lost each year to these avoidable accidents. 

Bullying is a pervasive problem in schools. School districts and other educational entities should appropriately address bullying as early as possible to prevent or otherwise lessen the negative impact such acts may have on the learning environment.

Each one of us has been involved in an accident. Maybe something happened on the road or at work. Maybe it was a “near-miss,” or perhaps it caused an injury like a minor burn or scrape, or worse and required a visit to the emergency room. How often do we take the time to retrace the events that led up to an accident? Do we try to learn from the close calls? Chances are the more minor an accident is, the less we think about it.

As of September 1, 2014, all Fund Property and/or Liability members have Data Breach/Privacy coverage at no additional cost. The Fund has partnered with Beazley, one of the world’s premier providers of data breach response services, to offer protection for members in the event of a data breach.

These days, it is rare to read or listen to the news without hearing of an incident where sensitive personal information stored by private companies, universities, or government agencies is stolen or compromised. 

Have you ever been on a long road trip with few pit stops? And when you finally get out of the vehicle, you feel almost like you’ve been run over by one of the many motorists that you’ve encountered? If so, here are a few tips that might make that next long drive a bit more comfortable.  

 When you think about lead in schools, the image that may pop into your head is of a pencil. But pencils don’t actually contain any lead; they use a nontoxic substance called graphite. Lead is a toxic metal that was utilized in plumbing components, paint, ammunition manufacturing, fishing tackle, and gasoline. Even though products containing lead have been phasing out of the market for years, there may still be lead based paint or lead plumbing components in our schools.

Certain times of year bring sniffles, watery eyes, stuffy heads, and coughing fits. These could be symptoms of allergies, or in some instances, signs of more serious issues. The exposure source could be outside, at home, in the car, at school, or any combination of these locations. While there are limited options for managing outdoor air quality, school officials do have the ability and responsibility to provide healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) for all staff and students.

When disaster strikes, people’s natural instinct is to help in any way possible. Psychologists suggest a variety of reasons for this behavior, including the need to be part of something bigger and to feel connected to the area affected. Regardless of the reason, communities affected by disasters should be prepared for an outpouring of support that may include spontaneous and unsolicited volunteers. It is important to prepare a plan for how to manage the volunteer process. 

Supplemental documents such as hazard-specific and functional annexes provide the framework for a district’s intended approach to managing emergencies and disasters of all types. 

October is recognized as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, although it is an important issue to be aware of all year long.

The recent disasters, in Texas and across the nation, serve as a reminder that we must not be complacent when it comes to emergency preparedness. School districts and colleges must remain vigilant, recognizing the importance that they too must develop a comprehensive emergency management program. September was recognized as National Emergency Preparedness Month, but it is important to be prepared all year long. 

When funding is tight and budgets are under scrutiny, it can be tempting to cut corners wherever possible. This is especially true when educational quality and jobs are on the line. However, it is important to keep in mind that a short-term gain can result in long-term pain.

In the wake of disasters such as Hurricane Harvey people want to help, however even the best intentions can create what emergency managers refer to as the “disaster within a disaster.” Donations quickly can overwhelm a community that is dealing with catastrophic loss. So it is important that individuals and organizations asking for help, as well as groups that want to assist, t carefully evaluate the who, what, when, where, and how of those requests.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a part of the United States Department of Labor (US DOL), which covers private sector employers and their workers in Texas. Political Subdivisions, including school districts and community colleges, and their employees do not fall under OSHA jurisdiction and are not subject to these regulations.

With the release of the Texas School Safety Center’s (TxSSC) District Audit Report (DAR) tool, it is important to remember that the audit process is more than a data collection tool for the Texas School Safety Center’s report to the State legislature. It represents the culmination of school district’s efforts to have campuses that are safe and secure environments in which to learn and work.

This is the third and final part of a series of articles covering cybersecurity issues that school districts and organizations should be aware of. In this article, you will learn about the importance of having a cyber security plan for your organization.

A fraudulent phishing scam has circulated throughout districts in Texas and across the country in recent months, exposing private W-2 information of employees in several school districts.

Every three years, districts need to complete their School Safety and Security Audit, commonly known as the District Audit Report. It is the point when a school district’s ongoing audit process and the audit report intersect, highlighting the reasons why the audit process must be ongoing and proactive.

This is the second in a three-part series of articles covering cyber security issues that school districts and organizations should be aware of. In this article, you will learn more about how to secure passwords.

This is the first in a three-part series of articles covering cyber security issues that school districts and organizations should be aware of. In this article, find out the steps you can take to help mitigate stolen data.

We know winter can bring inclement weather that creates hazardous situations for staff and students. We have learned to be proactive and stay alert to storms and the visible hazards of the season, but we often dismiss the hazards we cannot see.

Safety is an essential element at any school district, and teaching safety can be a challenge. The TASB Risk Solutions division wants to help. All members of the Workers’ Compensation program have access to a series of safety videos online, located on the secured myTASB site.  

The FBI recently published a Flash alert regarding new, more dangerous ransomware attacks. Previous ransomware attacks have relied on a user's clicking on a phishing e-mail or infected website or downloading malicious software. 

While Zika virus is not common in Texas, it serves as a reminder that many mosquito-borne diseases can affect the health and safety of Texas’ students, faculty, and staff. As such, it is important to be ever-vigilant when it comes to vector-borne diseases, which are diseases or illnesses typically transmitted by biting insects or ticks.

September is National Preparedness Month – a good time to remember that a good learning environment is a safe and secure one. Therefore, as students, faculty, and staff settle into their back-to-school routines, preparedness must be part of the process.

Effective Jan. 1, 2016, House Bill (HB) 910 of the 84th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature requires districts that want to pursue trespass charges specifically relating to openly carried handguns to post notices “in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public at each entrance to the property.” The text prescribed by Texas Penal Code 30.06 (trespass by license holder with a concealed handgun) was updated and a new posting under 30.07 (trespass by license holder with openly carried handgun) was created.

During the past several years, Texas has experienced severe weather events that have caused extensive damage from hail. Unfortunately, Texas school districts have not been immune from these events. Weather reports indicate that on April 11, 2016, almost 200 locations were affected by hail varying in size from 1 to 3.5 inches.

Preventative maintenance helps minimize the adverse effects of breakdowns and increases facility functionality. When maintenance departments perform regularly scheduled upkeep on facilities, it can maximize life cycles of equipment and brick and mortar assets.

The beginning of the academic year and the calendar year are both great times to start fresh, take an inventory of the safety risks on your campus, and resolve to take actions to remedy any shortcomings

Headlines such as “No Regular Emergency Drills at Some Texas Schools,” and “Some Area Schools Miss Required Safety Drills” can be devastating to school districts and cause parents to lose faith in the district’s ability to keep students safe.

During the past year, there have been many emergency incidents affecting Texas schools and other educational entities. From the wildfires in Bastrop to ice storms that affected a much larger area of central Texas, incidents of violence to severe storms and tornados, school districts and other educational institutions must be prepared to respond effectively and work closely with local responders to ensure that incidents are managed effectively.

As in previous years, we received several Loss Prevention Grant requests asking for money to purchase back support belts. The typical justification for these belts is that they help prevent back injuries among employees who move significant oads as part of their normal duties. However, we do not approve grant funding for these belts because TASB Loss Prevention Services does not advocate using them. This article will explain why.