UVALDE, Texas — UCISD board meets, does not fire or suspend school police officers In their first meeting since the mass shooting, UCISD trustees did not take action against school police chief Pete Arredondo.
In their first meeting since the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary, Uvalde school leaders considered whether to fire or suspend any district employees.
Some parents said they expected to discuss UCISD police chief Pete Arredondo’s handling of the shooting, but the board took no action against him or any other employee.
School leaders conducted much of their business behind closed doors. It’s not clear whether trustees discussed Arredondo’s status or response during their executive session.
Department of Public Safety head Steve McCraw has blamed Arredondo for waiting to barge into the classroom and kill the shooter. As many as 19 law enforcement officers waited in the hallway, even as children inside the classroom begged 911 dispatchers for help.
Trustees did not publicly address safety protocols during the emergency meeting. Some parents said they left dissatisfied.
“We want answers to where the security is going to take place,” one district mom said after the meeting. “This was all a joke.”
Board members did, however, move to give district superintendent Hal Harrell more power during an emergency.
Harrell affirmed that students would not return to Robb Elementary. During a moving speech, he remembered two teachers who died during the shooting.
“They were heroes on that day. When we needed a hero - there were no capes. No great big muscles. They were heroes,” he said. “They were humble servants. What else can you ask from a teacher?”
One mom, Dawn Poitevent, told the board she hoped they’d remember first-graders who would’ve been promoted to Robb Elementary next school year. She said her 7-year-old, Hayes, toured the school he would’ve attended just weeks ago.
“My son has been expressing how he’s scared to go to school because the bad man is going to come shoot him too,” she said.
She asked trustees to consider expanding first-grade campuses so those students can remain in familiar environments.
“We know the faces. They know the classes. They know the campus,” she said. “They know they’re safe. Because that’s the one place he feels safe right now.”
Harrell said he would consider her request as the district decides how to realign school enrollment.
The board is scheduled to meet again on June 20.