It serves as a “clearinghouse for the dissemination of safety and security information through research, training and technical assistance for K-12 school and junior colleges throughout the state,” according to its website.
There is a focus on multiple aspects of public school safety, including violence prevention and tobacco-use prevention.
TSSC offers cybersecurity tools for Texas K-12 schools and colleges to train and assess their cyber posture as required by law. There are templates for creating cyber planning, links to state resources and cyber-related grant listings.
The Learning Lab School Safety Podcast launched in October 2022 with the latest episodes covering school district cybersecurity preparedness and artificial intelligence’s role in school safety.
The center offers a range of in-person and online training to address education safety concerns. These trainings include threat assessment, safety response, bullying, cyber bullying and digital threat assessment. The center also regularly posts to its Facebook page.
LEADERSHIP
Kathy Martinez-Prather is director of the TSSC.
Mark Andrus is the associate director of IT, and there are 11 IT specialists listed in the IT department.
BUDGET
The overall state allocations are almost $9 million each for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 and are allocated within the TXST budget that totals more than $841.5 million this fiscal year.
The TSSC total budget for FY2023 was listed at $16.6 million including grant funding, which is actively pursued.
Besides the state allocations, funding originates in several agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, National Institute of Justice, Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.
The budget doesn’t list IT spending specifically, but the center has a goal of using modern software and technology to disseminate resources, research and training, among other information.
