Students with the Lasara Independent School District are nearly finished with their first week of the new school year.

“Students we're ready to come back, staff was ready to come back,” Lasara ISD Superintendent Alejos Salazar said. “I know I was ready to see their smiling faces again, and it's been a good start to the school year."

A number of changes were made by district leaders in response to the deadly school shooting in Uvalde.

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The changes included all district employees undergoing active shooter training, only allowing mesh or clear backpacks for students and optional mask wearing.

Neither Lasara ISD nor the city have its own police force, so the district hired an armed security officer.

“Everybody is now being extra vigilant and everybody is being trained in what needs to be done if we should find something on campus that doesn't need to be there," Salazar said.

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Salazar added that the district is working with the Willacy County Sheriff's Office and Texas Department of Public Safety to help with any emergency response.

“Even though we call, and we have to wait for them to arrive, we need to do what we can in that immediate moment to ensure that the safety and all people within our walls,” Salazar said.