Texas District Chooses Cloud System To Stay on Top of School Safety

A Texas school district with 25,300 students has adopted a new cloud-based application designed to provide an all-around view of security. McAllen Independent School District, located just north of the United States-Mexico border, will be introducing Haystax School Safety Center from Haystax Technology.

The software is an online program for maintaining school safety data, such as emergency plans and contact information; reporting threats and tracking events; and keeping up with potential threats through news, public safety and social media channels. In a statement, the company said the program costs the district about $2 per year per student, a total of about $50,000 per year.

Authorized people within the district will have access to the information maintained by Haystax, including McAllen's school police department.

"I don't just want to control a crisis; I want to get ahead of it," said Cris Esquivel, chief of the district's police department. "When we're in an emergency situation we have to be able to both receive and disseminate accurate information without delay to the responding officers, parents, district leaders and the broader community. The School Safety Center is my source for that information."

Among the features of the program are:

  • A "threat streams module," which pulls and analyzes information feeds from news sources and Twitter and then supplies users with "flash" alerts when a threat is identified;
  • The ability for police officers and other school staff to report suspicious activity or incidents, transmit geo-coded photos and disseminate threat and crime information to a broader group; and
  • Modules for maintaining data about school assets and online safety assessments, including information about school facilities and key personnel.

Esquivel noted that he has seen comparable capabilities before, "but they have always been separate stand-alone tools. What I like about the School Safety Center is that everything is in one place."

The Haystax School Safety Center is also in use by the Florida Department of Education.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • split-screen digital illustration of two AI-influenced classrooms

    What AI Gets Right and How It Will Be Used in the Year Ahead

    AI has tremendous potential to do good in education while honoring and upholding the essential role of teachers. However, its success will depend on how we choose to use it.

  • DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education Announces Updates to Experience, DreamBox Math

    K-12 learning solution provider Discovery Education has announced enhancements to its Discovery Education Experience and DreamBox Math products, designed to create a more personalized, engaging learning experience for students.

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • A geometric pattern of open Chromebook computers with bold outlines, subtle shading, and soft gradients, spaced evenly with vibrant green and blue accents on a neutral background.

    Challenges and Opportunities Ahead for the 'Great Chromebook Refresh'

    During the pandemic, the education community scrambled to provide students with laptops to promote online learning equity and mitigate learning loss. Today, those devices are approaching the end of their useful lives — and a "great Chromebook refresh" has been predicted as schools seek to replace them with newer models.