Hughes Safety and Security
2025-2026
Safety and Security at Hughes Elementary
Dear Hughes Families:
We are so excited about the 2025-26 school year and have been working hard to prepare for a safe and productive learning adventure with our students. Our staff has participated in hundreds of hours of professional learning and are rested and ready to continue investing in your children every day. And we are so excited to begin a new school year with your children.
WE ARE PARTNERS IN YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION
The best way to find out any information about our campus is to contact your child’s teacher. For anything. If they don’t know the answer, they can put you in touch with someone who does. If you feel unsatisfied with the information that your teacher is providing, please contact me at jiroberds@propser-isd.net.
If you have any specific questions about your child’s specific needs, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We encourage you to build a personal relationship with us. While social media may be a great way to get recommendations for yard care or a new refrigerator, it may not provide the best answers to questions about your child’s specific needs. We are available to you so that we can make sure that your child is taken care of while on our campus, and we want to build strong relationships with you.
One additional component we have added this year, is to make sure we talk to students directly after drills, especially a lockdown drill, announced or unannounced. We know that even if it is a drill, students can feel anxious or scared. So we will lead students through a discussion and even some breathing exercises so that they can feel calm and ready to get back to learning.
A DIFFICULT DISCUSSION
In addition to all the sessions, our staff has attended about the best practices for teaching, we have also been very invested in a critical aspect of school – safety. This topic is a difficult one to address. There are literally no words to describe the depth of heartbreak that we feel, as educators and parents ourselves, in the face of violence that seems so prevalent in our nation.
Mass shootings have taken place in movie theaters, churches, doctor’s offices, and grocery stores. And when unimaginable happens at a school, we as educators are especially affected. We have dedicated our lives to our future, our children, and the thought of violence breaching the sacred space of learning, a space where we work every day to build up our children, is unthinkable.
WE ARE AWARE. WE ARE TRAINED. WE ARE DILIGENT.
But we must think about it. And we do. So I want to take this opportunity to tell you about the safety measures that we have in place to protect our staff and our students. While I wish I could make the absolute promise that nothing like Uvalde would ever happen in Prosper, I cannot. But the promise that I can make to you is that every staff member is committed to making our school as safe as humanly possible. We are aware. We are diligent. We are trained.
Every staff member has been trained about what to do in case of an emergency or active shooter.
Every campus is audited by our police department every year, which is beyond the requirements of the Texas Education Agency which only requires a campus audit every three years.
Every exterior door has been examined by our maintenance staff and police department to ensure that automatic locking systems are operational.
Every classroom door is locked by default.
Our staff is out in the halls during passing periods to put hundreds of adult eyes and ears in the hallways.
Every campus has controlled access to enter the building. Security vestibules are hardened and locked during the day.
Every visitor must check in with the front office and provide a driver’s license to enter.
Every district phone is equipped with a one-touch button that is directly connected to the police department for 911 response.
AT LEAST ONE OFFICER ON EVERY CAMPUS.
Many of you may be unaware that the district has its own Police Department. The state of Texas passed a house bill, HB 3 that requires one dedicated officer to every school campus, but Prosper ISD has made this happen well before this house bill. There are over 25, licensed peace officers in Prosper ISD. Our campus has one police officer, Officer Williams. She is an integral part of our staff. Her care and commitment to students is of the utmost importance.. Every elementary school, middle school and high school has one officer who is on campus every day, patrolling, checking doors, and building relationships with students. Our high schools have two police officers and two security officers. Here’s some additional information about our police force:
The Prosper ISD Police Department dispatcher is stationed at the Prosper Police Department dispatch control center. In one place, we can communicate with all local law enforcement agencies who would respond to a situation on a campus.
The Prosper ISD Police Department is a full-service, independent, Texas Police agency. We are dispatched by the Town of Prosper Police Department and work cooperatively with them to ensure a safe school environment. We also have jurisdiction in all areas of the Prosper Independent School District and work cooperatively with Frisco PD, Collin County Sheriff's Office, Denton County Sheriff's Office, McKinney PD and Celina PD.
ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES
In addition to our highly trained police force and our diligent and observant teachers, there are several layers of less obvious security measures on every campus.
Over 3,000 cameras in the district, monitored by Prosper PD security.
Bullet-resistant glass in strategic areas.
Strategic patrol schedules and routes.
Additional response measures that are in constant operation, that we cannot reveal because of the need for secrecy around these security assets.
FENCING
We do have fencing all around the back of our school where our portable buildings are. This fencing is also equipped with two LOCKED gates that will help the safety and security of our students and staff that will be learning out in the portable buildings. These gates act like doors and will remain locked at all times.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
You will see a difference in how we allow access to social activities on our campus this year. Please be prepared for entry into the school building to take a bit longer than usual. If you are planning to eat lunch with your child, please give yourself extra time to process through the front office. In the future, we will be providing additional information about class parties and end-of-year celebrations. Look for those communications.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
As we partner with you in your child’s education, we want you to be aware that we do have access to mental health resources through our schools and local municipalities. If your child is struggling with something, please let us know so that we can help you find the best resources available.
Here is more information on what Prosper ISD does and talking points for your conversation with students.
As a parent, please…
Talk to your children about kindness and inclusiveness.
Talk to your children about See Something Say Something.
Volunteer on your child’s campus.
Join the Prosper Promise.
Be a substitute.