Following a shooting at a Dallas Independent School District varsity basketball game that left one young man dead, the Mesquite Independent School District is taking measures to improve security.
Mesquite athletic director Cody Groves told radio station WBAP that changes have been in the offing for quite some time. Among the changes, the school will now prohibit backpacks at all sporting events, and students will be required to show identification for entry.
Mesquite said in a statement that it values the safety of its students, staff and patrons above all else, noting that the district regularly reviews its safety protocols to ensure its facilities are as safe as possible for all who use them.
“As a result of such review, additional security measures will be implemented for after-school events at all Mesquite ISD venues (gyms, stadiums and campuses) effective this Friday, Jan. 31,” the statement said.
Those new measures include:
· All students, including non-Mesquite ISD students, must present valid student identification to enter any event.
· No one may enter basketball games after the start of the fourth quarter.
· Backpacks will not be allowed at Mesquite ISD events.
· All students in grades 6 – 12, including non-Mesquite ISD students, must present a valid student ID to enter any event. This includes visiting teams.
· Elementary students will not be admitted without adult supervision.
· The district reserves the right to request additional identification.
Additional measures are under consideration, and more changes may be announced in the future.
