La Porte ISD making several policy changes for upcoming school year

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Starting a new school year can be hard for any child, but some community members argue that La Porte ISD just made things harder.

The district just released their new rules saying that "no outside food can be delivered during the instruction day, all forgotten lunches and kits must be delivered by 9 a.m., drinks will only be allowed in student lunch kits, and parents wishing to eat lunch with their child can only do so on an assigned day of the week."

"I think the changes are good, in my opinion," parent Gustavo Wahlenberg said.

Some parents, like Wahlenberg, do not see a problem with the policy change.

In fact, most parents are saying that after the Santa Fe High School shooting, safety is their top priority.

"All the security measurements need to be taken, because it's a crazy world out there. I understand in La Porte, nothing's ever happened in La Porte. Maybe a few minor things, but I think overall security wise, it's a good idea. I'm all for that," Wahlenberg said.

Others are not agreeing with Wahlenberg. Lauren Bright, who's stepping in to help her nieces after her sister-in-law died, says she does not agree with the policies.

"If I ran my background check, I bring my license in, I have my sticker on. I feel like I should be able to spend time with my nieces and bring them outside food, because I don't understand how that's going to affect the security," Bright said.

La Porte ISD issued the following statement

"The safety of La Porte ISD students and staff is always our top priority, and this year we will be making several procedural changes to ensure that.

We encourage parental involvement and welcome parents to participate in activities at their children's schools. However, at the elementary level, we have changed the guidelines for visitors at lunch. Parents desiring to dine with their students at lunch will do so following the assigned day of the week designated by the letter of their last name, and a maximum of three guests will be allowed with each student. Because the lunch periods are only 30 minutes long, this allows adequate time for office staff members to complete the security check-in measures and allows visiting parents to be accommodated in the designated area where parents eat with their own children. This also allows time for student social engagement and ensures adequate supervision of our cafeterias.

In an effort to maintain the best possible learning environment for our students, parents will not be allowed to deliver any outside food during the instructional day. When a student has left his or her lunch at home, sack lunches and lunch kits may be delivered by 9 a.m. to the front office. Those who forget their lunch will receive a hot lunch in the cafeteria. This change in procedure provides for fewer interruptions during instructional time and helps our students feel good about their morning without worry about when their lunch might arrive.

Personal water bottles or containers, including Yeti or similar cups, continue to be prohibited. Drinks will be allowed only in students' lunch kits to be consumed during the lunch period. Every campus has water stations available for use at other times of the day.

In addition, campuses will not allow visitors for lunch during the first three weeks of school as well as on state and district assessment days. This allows students to acclimate to the learning environment and principals to complete necessary safety drills during the first few weeks of the school year.

We are grateful for the cooperation of parents to help ensure the safety of and positive learning environment for our district's children. When special circumstances arise, parents are asked to communicate with their child's principal."