In anticipation of the meeting’s start, parents and faculty members wait patiently, ready with questions. On Feb. 5, 2025, the TISD Volunteers in Public Education members (VIPs) held a public town hall meeting at the TISD Services Building. 

The topic of discussion at this meeting revolved around bullying prevention and internet safety. Following the passage of the Senate Bill 179, “David’s Law” in 2017, districts across the state have attained jurisdiction in the area of cyberbullying, which now qualifies as a misdemeanor in the state of Texas (PENAL § 42.07). 

Guest speakers, Bradley Irvin, Director of School Security and District Police Chief, and Shawn Vaugh, Texas Police Department Public Information Officer, contributed to the conversation and addressed concerns regarding the subject. 

“Parents being involved with their kids [lives] is the most important thing,” Irvin said. “they know them better than anybody,” Irvin said. “[It’s crucial] to always be engaged with them, and to understand what may be going wrong in [their lives].” 

In addition to addressing the parents’ concerns, this public meeting served to update them on the district’s measures that will improve the safety and security of the participating families and students.

“Anytime we’re dealing with bullying or [things of that nature], we take a proactive approach,”  Executive Director of Student and Family Support Services Lakesha Taylor said. “We’re quick,  we’re fast to respond [on Tiger Watch], and it’s always important to make sure that we’re communicating with our parents.” 

Many parents who attended the meeting came away knowing more about how to deal with these problems and protect their children by adopting this approach to the current circumstances.

“[Leaving this] I now know better ways to approach both of my kids, because as a mom, my reaction is that I’m gonna freak out,” parent Sabrina Grimes said. “They may not come to me, so I [glad to] have learned different ways to approach it, and different [signs] that I’m missing when I look at my child’s [day-to-day life].” 

Local officials within the city and district believe that this initiative, along with its preventative measures and resources, will be proficient in making the district safer for all.

“It’s going to be very effective because a lot of times it’s just a matter of letting our kids know exactly what the problems are,” Vaughn said. “[More importantly], giving them some solutions on the front end, so that they’re not trying to figure out a situation at that moment.”