With Spring ISD and Klein ISD classes starting Wednesday, Aug. 12, Harris County Constable Mark Herman is asking parents to think twice before posting those first-day-of-school snapshots.
Herman's office issued the advisory Thursday, Aug. 6, on the Precinct 4 Facebook page under the heading "School starts next week — think before you post!" The message isn't meant to kill the tradition. It's meant to make it safer.
The constable's office listed six categories of identifying information parents should keep out of public posts:
- School name, logo or location
- Teacher's name
- Grade level
- Child's age or birthday
- Visible name tags on backpacks
- Signs or details in the photo's background
A school logo on a shirt, a classroom sign behind a grinning kid, a name tag dangling from a new backpack — any of those can reveal more than a family intends to share, according to the advisory, which was also reported by CW39 Houston.
"Take the picture. Make the memory. Protect the details," the post reads.
The fix is straightforward: before hitting "post," scan the entire image and blur or crop anything that reveals personal information. That includes text on shirts, signs, folders and anything visible in the background.
The advisory lands during Texas Tax-Free Weekend, as families across the Spring area shop for new backpacks, uniforms and supplies ahead of the first day.
Precinct 4, which covers north Harris County including the Spring area, is the largest constable's office in the United States. Herman's office also posted Thursday about school campus safety partnerships, writing that "strong partnerships and preparation help keep our students, educators, and campuses safe."
Spring ISD and Klein ISD students return to campus Aug. 12.
