DUNCANVILLE, Texas – The crowd at Saturday’s high school football game between Duncanville and St. Francis Academy in Maryland may have looked a little different than usual after a change in district policy.
Duncanville ISD issued a new game admission policy this week stating that all students must have a current student ID and be with a parent or guardian.
District superintendent Lamar Goree told FOX 4 the policy was put in place out of an abundance of caution after false threats to schools across the area.
Similar threats were made at other schools throughout the area, including Dallas ISD.
Most were quickly deemed not credible, but it has resulted in changes for at least two districts.
“Of course, we’ve increased our security at all of our campuses for the week. We’ve also done things like make sure we’ve communicated with parents around things that they could do such as monitor their children’s social media,” said Goree.
There has been more than just online threats.
Dallas police say 17-year-old David Washington, a football player at Kimball High School, was shot and killed across the street from Kincaide Stadium on September 6.
A 16-year-old was arrested and charged with murder.
On Saturday around 2:30 a.m., police say 17-year-old Demaryae Dequan Hill-Young, a student at Lincoln High School, was shot and killed on Burger Avenue. No one has been arrested in that shooting.
“Any senseless violence, any loss of students is always very traumatic on a community. Our goal though is to create as many safe environments as we possibly can so that we don’t see this senseless violence,” said Goree.
Dallas ISD made changes to its football schedule in response to the false threats made to schools in the area.
Goree says Duncanville ISD will continue to evaluate if the admission policy is necessary as the football season continues.
Duncancille defeated St. Francis 28 to 24 on Saturday night.