Some parents say safety precautions ignored at schools on election day
In the wake of Uvalde and school shootings, the state of Texas has made changes to better secure school campuses.
But some parents say many precautions were thrown out the window Tuesday when schools around the state were used as polling places for the primary elections.
When Lindsay Applebaum discovered her son's campus at Prestonwood Elementary was serving as an election site, she immediately pulled him from class.
"The doors were completely open, unlocked, sometimes propped open for a good portion of the day," Applebaum said. "It's a prime opportunity for trouble and in a post Uvalde world I just don't think it's a risk we need to take."
On any other day, she said, parents have to undergo background checks and show their ID to enter the school.
"But then on a day like yesterday we just open the doors, there was no security check, nobody had to present an ID before entering the building, and specifically at Prestonwood Elementary School, they had to go all the way to the middle of the building to get in to vote," Applebaum said.
Richardson ISD told us it has no choice.
State law requires school districts to allow their buildings to be used as polling places.
In a message to parents, Superintendent Tabitha Branum said: "We work hard every year to advocate and reduce the numbers."
The district says an armed officer was present to keep voters from roaming the building, but that it isn't allowed to check IDs on election day.
"I personally would like to see no voting in schools at all, and if we need to vote in schools, let's just shut down for the day," said Applebaum.
Election day in November has become a school holiday for many districts, but Branum said the March election is more challenging to work around because of required spring testing.
"Why are we asking those people to come to the most vulnerable places where our children are and not be screened?" state Rep. Frederick Frazier said.
Frazier was one of three lawmakers who filed legislation last year to bar public schools from being used as polling places, a hope that he hasn't given up on.
"Having folks just come in there, that could be a recipe for disaster," said Frazier.
All three of those bills died in committee without a vote.
Frazier said he hopes to file another bill like this one in the next legislative session.
