Texas school systems received new state guidance Thursday on documenting emergencies and closures in Sentinel, including firearm discoveries, bomb threats and closures caused by weather or infrastructure failures.
The Texas Education Agency notice says school systems must submit reportable events through the School Emergency Reporting Form in Sentinel’s EM Module.
Texas school emergency reporting matrix
| Event named by TEA | State reporting route | Immediate local duty |
|---|---|---|
| Firearm found on campus or at an extracurricular activity | Sentinel EM Module | Follow the system’s emergency plan and law-enforcement requirements |
| Bomb threat | Sentinel EM Module | Use local safety procedures and emergency contacts |
| Weather closure | Sentinel EM Module | Communicate local schedule and safety information |
| Infrastructure closure | Sentinel EM Module | Document the closure and affected operations |
| Administrative closure | Sentinel EM Module | Record the event under the state guidance |
The third column is a reader-facing distinction, not a substitute for a district emergency plan. Sentinel reporting is a state accountability step. It does not replace urgent response, law enforcement, emergency services or direct communication with families and staff.
TEA says School Safety Agents may contact school systems during or immediately after an emergency to provide technical assistance. Systems must share event details with those agents.
The guidance is addressed to school systems and regional education service centers. District leaders should identify who owns the Sentinel submission, who preserves the underlying incident record and who confirms completion. That assignment can reduce the chance that a closure is communicated locally but omitted from the state system.
A weather closure and an infrastructure closure may look similar to families because both can cancel classes. The reporting reason still matters. A water failure, electrical problem or damaged building should be documented under the event that actually caused the closure rather than a convenient generic label.
TEA does not give families a new public Sentinel lookup in this notice. Parents and employees should continue to rely on the district for schedules and instructions, while administrators use Sentinel for the required state record.
The notice cites 19 Texas Administrative Code sections 103.1213 and 103.1217 and Texas Education Code section 37.1083. Those records establish state monitoring and reporting duties; the Oct. 29 guidance is intended to make identification, documentation and submission more consistent.
Families should continue to use their district’s official website, alert system and local emergency channels for immediate closure information. A state report may not be public or instantaneous.
Texas education and service updates appear on The Daily Quill’s Community and Public Services desk. School-system safety personnel should review the full TEA guidance and share it with the staff responsible for Sentinel submissions.
