BAYTOWN, Texas (KTRK) — While Baytown Sterling High School classrooms are empty for the holiday break, Love United Methodist Church in Baytown was packed with students on a Friday night.
It was not for a prayer service but for a town hall hosted by the Baytown Student Safety Coalition, which is a group of mostly Baytown Sterling High School students that was formed after their classmate, 16-year-old Andrew Meismer, was stabbed to death in class just days before the winter break.
“Our goal is to demand change and reform in school policies so that we feel safe stepping into school,” Ace Ellis, Sterling High School senior, said.
Several students expressed their concerns about returning to school after their campus became a crime scene just a few weeks ago.
The day after the stabbing, school was still in session. And students like Ellis told ABC13 that he didn’t go back because he felt it wasn’t safe.
Ellis also believes that it’ll be the case for some when classes start back up on Wednesday.
“I don’t feel a lot of people will go. As I said, the lack of any words from the administrators and from the staff has made us feel like there has been no change so far,” Ellis said.
The concerns did get the attention of school district leaders. Goose Creek CISD’s new Superintendent, Dr. Joe Rodriguez, was at the town hall talking and listening to families. Rodriguez didn’t have the position when the stabbing happened, and Monday will be his first day on the job.
“I’m not going to wait till a month from now, two months from now. We’re going to meet immediately. I do know there are going to be returns next week. But I did share I was going to be making contact with the appropriate campus administration,” Rodriguez said.
He didn’t give us specifics on what changes will be coming to Sterling High School, but says a close eye will be kept on the campus.
While students wait for change, Rodriguez assures them he’ll have more answers on how a deadly stabbing happened inside a classroom.
“It is an ongoing investigation, so we are limited in what we can share. But I do believe we can improve on providing additional information as far as where we are at with the entire situation,” Rodriguez said.
Aundre Matthews, 18, was charged with murder in the stabbing death of Meismer, and he is being held on a $3 million bond.
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