Community,

It’s a Great Day to be a Gladiator!

This morning I walked the demolition site at Stafford Elementary. The progress is coming along well. The old library has been taken down and the majority of the debris has been removed. The crew will be starting on the middle wing of the building Thursday. I also walked the area where the new stadium will be located. The field area has been marked off and dirt is being moved. It is an exciting time at Italy ISD.

The Italy PD has reported an incident that occurred at Upchurch Field Friday, September 30th, during the evening. A student of Italy High School was injured during that incident. I have spoken to the mother of the child. We are happy to report the child is fine and recovering from the injury.

Last Wednesday, Mr. Janszen, the high school principal, received a report that an unknown person was sending inappropriate pictures and messages to students via Snapchat and Instagram. Mr. Janszen has interviewed several students to gather as much information as possible.

The investigating officials are looking into the possibility that these two incidents may be connected.

This afternoon, I met with Mayor Farmer, Chief Beckham and Mr. Janszen. We discussed the incidents. Mr. Janszen is cooperating with the police department as they conduct their investigation. He has also provided significant information that may lead to suspects. The chief has committed to having an officer around the school to help alleviate any chance of these incidents reigniting during a school day. In addition, there will be additional patrol of the campuses after school hours.

At Italy ISD we take the children’s safety seriously. When incidents involving our students take place off of campus, we will appropriately investigate with the intent to keep our students out of harm’s way. We understand the work of police officers is difficult, and Italy ISD will assist them to help keep our community safe.

I encourage every parent to be overly aware of your child’s social media use. Your children’s safety is more important than their perceived right to privacy from their parents. The school district will be organizing a social media awareness program for parents and students. Until then, I hope every parent will discuss their social media expectations with their children.

As always, please contact me at 972-483-1815 if you have questions or concerns.

It’s a Great Day to Be a Gladiator!

Thank you,
Lee Joffre