Panic buttons, automatic locks and bulletproof windows top the proposed safety rules after Uvalde shooting

Two Department of Public Safety officers test classroom doors and patrol the campus at Dalton Elementary School on the first day of school in Uvalde on Sept. 6, 2022. This week, the state education department issued proposed rules to beef up security at public schools. (Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune)

The Texas Education Agency announced Thursday a plethora of proposals that would, among other changes, require public schools to install silent panic alarms and automatic locks on exterior doors.

Other proposals include inspecting doors on a weekly basis to make sure they lock and can be opened from the outside only with a key. Two-way emergency radios would also have to be tested regularly. Schools would need to add some sort of vestibules so visitors can wait before being let in, and all ground-level windows would have to be made with bulletproof glass.