Eagle Pass Independent School District Conducts Student Reunification Drill at Ray Darr Elementary School
By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
The Eagle Pass Independent School District Police Department and Transportation Department conducted a student reunification drill Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Ray Darr Elementary School as part of the district’s continuing preparations for responding to a serious emergency, announced Samuel Mijares, Eagle Pass ISD Superintendent.
The exercise tested procedures for evacuating students and employees from Ray Darr Elementary and transporting them aboard school buses to the EPISD Student Activities Center, which served as the designated reunification location.
A reunification site may be activated when students and employees cannot safely remain at or return to their campus because of a threat, fire, hazardous-material incident, utility failure, severe weather event or another emergency.
During an actual lockdown, students and employees would initially remain secured inside classrooms or other protected areas. Evacuation would begin only after law enforcement officials determined that it was safe to leave the campus.
Once evacuated, students would be transported to the designated reunification location, where district personnel would account for every student and staff member.
Parents or authorized guardians would be required to present identification before a student could be released.
The Texas School Safety Center describes accountable reunification as a critical part of emergency response. Its Standard Reunification Method includes receiving arriving parents, completing reunification information cards, verifying identification, locating students and documenting each student’s release.
Wednesday’s drill allowed EPISD police officers, bus drivers, school employees and other district personnel to practice communication, transportation, student accountability and coordination before being required to carry out the procedures during an actual emergency.
Reunification drills are part of a broader emergency preparedness system that includes lockdown, secure, evacuation, shelter and hold procedures.
A lockdown is generally used when a possible threat is located inside a campus.
Classroom doors are locked, lights are turned off and students and employees remain out of sight.
A secure procedure is typically used when a threat is reported outside the school. Students and employees are brought inside, exterior doors are locked and activities may continue inside the building with additional precautions.
Evacuation procedures move students away from a dangerous area, while shelter procedures may be used during severe weather, hazardous-material emergencies or other environmental threats.
Texas law requires school districts to maintain multi-hazard emergency operations plans addressing prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Districts also conduct emergency safety drills throughout the school year.
School safety preparations across Texas intensified following the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 students and two teachers were killed. The tragedy exposed serious failures involving communication, command responsibilities, emergency response and coordination among law enforcement agencies.
Since the Uvalde school shooting, Texas officials have strengthened requirements involving campus security, law enforcement coordination, active-shooter response planning and emergency training.
