Do you feel safe sending your child to school?

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It seems that many parents did not, as security issues at over 100 schools in Texas caused students to miss classes last year in record numbers.

Texas School Safety Issues

Recent events don't seem to be helping parents feel any better about in-person attendance. According to KHOU, data from the Texas Education Agency shows high absence rates after a variety of threats in the last several months, ranging from physical attacks on campus to social media scares. 26 Texas school districts reported absence rates of up to 77% because of safety threats and concerns.

Earlier this year after campus fights at Kingwood Park High School in Humble ISD, a 70% absence rate was reported the next day. Last year, Frisco ISD canceled all classes and events for two days at Lone Star High School because of threats on social media and via email, according to KXAS.

Random Intruder Detection Audits

After the fatal school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a directive was enacted by Gov. Greg Abbott that included checking school entrances and exits throughout the state. Starting this month, the Texas School Safety Center is conducting 'random intruder detection audits' to find any weak access points in school buildings and protect against external threats. The Texas Tribune reports that the program's goal is to inspect 100% of school districts and 75% of campuses across the state by the end of the school year.

Local law enforcement and central administration will be notified when a campus will be inspected, but according to Texas School Safety Center Executive Director Kathy Martinez-Prather, the school campus itself will not know the audit is occurring. After the audit, the campus will have an opportunity to fix any issues that were found.

Hook ‘Em! 7 Celebrity Graduates From University of Texas at Austin

When you think of the University of Texas at Austin, what comes to your mind first? Is it celebrities? Of course, some celebrities are more vocal than others about their alma mater. Matthew McConaughey lets everyone know where he came from, so no surprises there. The actor is also a Professor of Practice at the university's Moody College of Communication, and graduated in 1993 with a Radio/TV/Film degree from UTA.

Aside from McConaughey, you might be surprised at some of the famous people who picked up a degree in the Lone Star State's capital city.

Who Are The 5 Richest People in Texas, Not Counting Elon Musk?

There are more billionaires in America than in any other country, according to Stacker. For some people, the money just keeps pouring in, as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is projected to become the world’s first trillionaire by 2026.

However, Bezos is not the world's richest person right now. That title goes to the founder of SpaceX, Tesla, and the new owner of Twitter, Elon Musk. Musk owns a mansion in Austin but says his main home is a $50,000 rental from SpaceX in Boca Chica, Texas.

Forbes lists 63 billionaires in Texas, including Elon Musk. Let's find out who's at the top of the list in the Lone Star State for 2022, right behind Musk.

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