CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi Independent School District hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for one of three new elementary schools.
All three will be built at the same time and are scheduled to open in August of 2023.
With school security at the front of everyone's mind, 3News spoke with district officials about their plans to keep students safe.
Students from Meadowbrook, Woodlawn and Montclair Elementary Schools will consolidate into the new location next summer. According to CCISD Superintendent Roland Hernandez, safety is the top priority of the district.
"In light of what took place in Uvalde, this is just a perfect example of how we have continued to focus on our schools with the priority being of safety," Hernandez said.
As CCISD breaks ground on new elementary schools for the district, security's at the forefront. The new location, where Cullen Middle School used to be, will be built based on what keeps the rest of their schools safe.
"We're really taking a close look at how we're functioning every day. Making sure that our doors are all locked to anything to the exterior and that we have one entryway," Hernandez said.
According to CCISD Police Chief Kirby Warnke, having optimal law enforcement helps insure that campuses remain a safe learning environment for students at all times.
"We've got police in all of our secondary's. And we've got patrol, a series of patrols, their primary function is patrolling elementary campuses," Warnke said.
Hernandez and Warnke both sharing they realize when students enter the doors to their schools -- their safety becomes their responsibility.
They say the plans have been designed to minimize access to anyone without permission to be on campus.
With the tragic shooting at Robb elementary school in Uvalde this week, they say these measures are necessary to maximize student safety.
"They are like our own children," Hernandez said. "They mean the world to us and so we want to keep them safe and I know that we're playing the part of the parents inside the schools and our parents trust us with their children."
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