Fernandez provided the update at a Rotary Club meeting last week, the paper reports. The board president also shared information of safety and security measures being implemented for the new school year.
“We had 16 applicants for UCISD police department,” Fernandez said, according to the paper. An interview committee is reviewing the candidates and assessing background checks, he reportedly said.
Additionally, Fernandez said the district will approach fire drills differently, using the intercom system instead of sirens, the paper reported.
CNN has reached out to the school district and the Texas Department of Public Safety for confirmation and comment, and has not immediately heard back.
Arredondo was placed on unpaid leave following his highly-criticized handling of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in May, in which 19 children and two teachers were killed. Officials have said Arredondo was the on-scene commander during the shooting, but the chief has disputed this, saying he did not believe he was in charge.
The Uvalde superintendent recommended Arredondo be fired in the wake of the tragedy and amid growing anger from residents and families who demanded the chief be terminated from the position.
The school board has postponed Arredondo’s termination hearing twice because of requests from his attorney involving his right to due process. Mostly recently, the board pushed off the meeting due to a “scheduling conflict” which prevented the hearing from being held on August 4, the district said. A new hearing date was not set at the time.
“At Robb Elementary, law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their active shooter training, and they failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety,” the report said, adding, “The void of leadership could have contributed to the loss of life as injured victims waited over an hour for help, and the attacker continued to sporadically fire his weapon.”
Arredondo has resisted officials’ statements identifying him as the leading officer, saying he “was responding as a police officer” and did not consider himself to be in charge.
CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this report.
