HOUSTON – The Houston Independent School District Board of Directors has denied a request from the Houston Federation of Teachers to reinstate the policy requiring classroom doors to remain closed and locked.
The union had raised concerns over safety in the wake of several threats at local schools, but their efforts to reverse the district’s open-door policy were unsuccessful.
The request, which was aimed at addressing concerns for teacher and student safety, follows ongoing debates about the district’s security measures. Under the current policy, classroom doors are to remain open, a change implemented by HISD Superintendent Mike Miles as part of his initiative to foster a collaborative learning environment.
In response to growing criticism, Superintendent Miles defended the open-door policy, explaining that it encourages greater transparency and communication between teachers and administrators. Despite these assurances, many parents and education advocates have voiced discomfort, arguing that the policy leaves classrooms vulnerable to external threats.
School safety remains a pressing issue, particularly after several recent incidents involving threats of violence. When asked if the district would reconsider the open-door policy, HISD Police Chief Shamara D. Garner affirmed her confidence in the district’s ability to maintain a safe environment. Chief Garner emphasized that the focus is on securing exterior doors, which are required to remain locked throughout the school day by Texas Education Agency (TEA) regulations.
Garner explained that although classroom doors are kept open, they are designed with a mechanism that allows them to be locked instantly without physical manipulation in the event of a threat. She added that keeping doors open could facilitate the movement of students to safety during an emergency.
“As chief of police, I’m I believe in and I’m confident in our ability to keep kids safe as it pertains to open doors and doors, period,” Garner said. “The most important thing is making sure that our exterior doors are closed and locked. Also making sure that we are hearing to protocols that are already in place, particularly our visitor management systems. Again, as I mentioned earlier, knowing who is in our building and why.”
Garner continued, “Also, if a classroom door is open in in the event that there is an active threat, those doors are open, but they’re in the locked mechanism or locked position whereby when they are closed, they do not need physical manipulation. If a door is open and say there is a threat, there may be kids in the library or kids that are old that are in open areas, having that door open can help usher those kids into a secure place, and that door would be closed again without being closed and locked, without physical manipulation.”
While the board has made its decision on classroom doors, the ongoing debate highlights the tension between promoting collaboration and ensuring security in schools.
The union’s concerns reflect broader anxieties about safety in educational environments, but for now, HISD’s policy remains unchanged.