CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Parents and school staff gathered in Flour Bluff on Wednesday night to give their input and feedback about the district's proposal to creat its own police department. All agreed that you never know when something could happen.
"The reality is it can happen at any time, anywhere and so while we all hope that never happens, it's better to be prepared," said parent Christy Zamora.
Zamora, a mother of two, sat in on Wednesday's Safety and Security meeting.
She listened as the district's superintendent talked about why the district wants to create its own police department.
"This is something we take very seriously, the safety of our students," said superintendent Dr. David Freeman.
Freeman said, currently, Flour Bluff ISD has several school safety officers and crossing guards on campus. It also has a partnership with CCPD, but said their priority is the department and sometimes those officers are called away from the schools.
"Some days, at some campuses, we don't have full coverage," he said.
Freeman told the group creating the district's own police department will save it anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 a year, which benefits FBISD in cost effictiveness, and providing better security in the long run.
"I am all for it," said parent John Valadez. "I have been advocating this for at least two years. I'm so happy."
To move forward, the district's school board will have to approve creating the department. That could happen as early as April, and, if approved, those officers could be on duty at the start of next school year.
"That is something that would make me feel better as a parent because you do worry when things happen," Zamora said.
