Kevin O’Connor Kommentary December 9

Bryan ISD Says Federal Immigration Agents Have NOT Been On Their Campuses

Bryan ISD responds to rumors with a news release stating that the district has no records of federal immigration agents at any of their schools. Tuesday’s (January 28) news release also says BISD does not have official data regarding any students immigration status. BISD also says the district is required by law to educate all students. College Station ISD’s social media as of Tuesday evening did not have a statement regarding the rumors reported by BISD. News release from Bryan ISD: Like many other school districts in our state, we are aware of rumors regarding the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at schools. According to our records, ICE agents have not been on our campuses. In an effort to provide transparency and to answer some of the questions we have received from our school community, we want to assure you that in Bryan ISD we remain committed to our vision of “ChildrenFirst. Always.” Nothing about our student privacy policies or registration process has changed. As with all public schools in the State of Texas, Bryan ISD and its employees are entrusted with thee education, care, and safety of all of our students and their information. As has been the case since 1974, confidential student information is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law. This law prohibits the sharing of this type of information and/or records without a lawful subpoena/warrant or permission from the student’s legal guardians. Bryan ISD does not have official data regarding the immigration status of students and is required by law to educate all students. Bryan ISD is grateful for its longstanding partnership with local law enforcement agencies. As always, our campus and district administrators work closely with legal counsel to ensure student rights and information are protected. Bryan ISD remains committed to educating and caring for every student in our schools. We appreciate your continued support and trusting us with your child’s education.

College Station Receives $750,000 Grant for Texas Independence Park

The City of College Station received a $750,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for the Texas Independence Park project. According to a city news release, grant-specific bike elements include a bike trail, a pump track, a dual elevated hub, wall rides, and surface flow trails. The park will also feature a playground, dog park, fishing pond, natural surface trails, and an 18-hole disc golf course. At the last city council meeting, the council unanimously approved a change order for the cancelled construction contract of the ballfields that were not built on the land due to soil issues. Capital Projects director Jennifer Cain says the deductive closeout change order is for more than $10.9 million. “They did complete the restroom building and all the other underground work that we discussed previously and the restroom building was completed this fall,” says Cain. The project is still in the design phase and construction could start this fall. News release from City of College Station: The City of College Station has received a $750,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for the Texas Independence Park at Midtown project. In August, the College Station City Council approved the park’s master plan for about 68 acres on Rock Prairie Road. Grant-specific bike elements include a bike trail, a pump track, a dual elevated hub, wall rides, and surface flow trails. The park will also feature a destination playground, dog park, fishing pond, natural surface trails, and an 18-hole disc golf course. The project is in the design phase, and construction will start as early as next fall. College Station was among 21 communities to receive non-urban grants, which fund projects in municipalities with populations under 500,000. The commission approved over $30.9 million in local park grants, a new record, to help create and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities in 50 community parks across Texas. The competitive grants are allocated to local government entities on a 50/50 reimbursement match basis. Once funded, the sites must remain parkland, properly maintained, and open to the public.

Brazos County Names New Emergency Management Coordinator

Brazos County has a new Emergency Management Coordinator. Jason Ware, who has served as interim EMC the past four months, was promoted by county commissioners this week. Ware, who has also served in law enforcement and fire/rescue, was the Deputy EMC for the past eight years. In total, Ware has served Brazos County for about 25 years. News release from Brazos County: Brazos County commissioners have named Jason Ware as the new county Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC). He has served as the interim EMC for the past four months, and as the county’s Deputy EMC for eight years. Ware’s experience in emergency management is extensive. He has worked activations of the Community Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) including Hurricane Harvey, Winter Storm Uri, and the COVID response. He also has experience with flooding events, tornadoes, gas leaks, fires, and hurricanes. Prior to Emergency Management, Ware served in Law Enforcement and Fire/Rescue. He holds a Master Peace Officer Certification as well as Master Firefighter Certification. In total, Ware has served the citizens of Brazos County for about 25 years. “Jason has proven himself as a trusted leader in emergency management and response over his many years in Brazos County,” said County Judge Duane Peters. “He has forged strong working relationships with first responders and emergency managers in this area and across the state, and I’m confident those relationships will work to keep all of Brazos County prepared for the future.” Ware has completed several courses in Emergency Management including the Basic and Advanced Professional Development Series through FEMA, as well as training classes in Disaster Finance/Accounting, Debris Management, Advanced Public Information Officer, and Incident Command System. He now provides some of that training to others as an instructor. Ware is also a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Committee and serves as vice chairperson for the Local Emergency Planning Committee. In addition, Ware is a Reserve Sergeant with the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office and recently returned from providing security for presidential inaugural activities in Washington, D.C.