If your child attends any Richardson ISD school, you may need a babysitter Nov. 6. The district — citing potential safety concerns — cancelled classes during the midterm election.
Because several schools also serve as polling locations, thousands of visitors enter the school without typical security screenings. In 2016, parent Becky Campbell prompted the discussion among district staff after she started a petition to stop using district schools as polling places.
“There are strict procedures and rules in place to approve campus visitors and keep our elementary schools safe during the school day,” the petition stated. “All visitors must be buzzed in at the locked front doors and pass into the office to receive approval and a badge before accessing the locked school hallways. However, on election days these rules go out the window, and the doors are open wide.”
So the district altered the calendar to transform Election Day into a student holiday and staff development day.
For staff and daytime care students, RISD also is implementing increased security measures, including isolating voting areas inside the schools. Parents who need child care Nov. 6 can sign up through the the Xplore! program.
