Armed Security required at all Texas Public Schools in 2024

From the Groesbeck ISD press release

In the American colonial days, several colonies required colonists to be armed for public safety. Texas, in a statute designed to reduce the risk of mass murder at public schools, will require armed security at public schools starting next year. Texas bill HB3 passed in 2023. It requires an armed security officer at all Texas public schools K-12 starting in 2024.

Sec. 37.0814. ARMED SECURITY OFFICER REQUIRED. (a) The board of trustees of each school district shall determine the appropriate number of armed security officers for each campus; however, they shall ensure that at least one armed security officer is present during regular school hours at each district campus

(b) A security officer described by Subsection (a) must be:

(1) a school district peace officer;
(2) a school resource officer;
(3) a commissioned peace officer employed as security personnel under Section 37.081;
(4) a school marshal; or
(5) a school district employee who:
       (A) has completed school safety training provided by a qualified handgun instructor certified in school safety under Section 411.1901, Government Code; and
       (B) carries a handgun on their person on school premises in accordance with written regulations or written authorization of the district under Section 46.03(a)(1)(A), Penal Code.

HB3 lists only five ways for school districts to comply with the statute. Three of them are very expensive. They require officers who have extensive training in areas far beyond what is needed to defend against a mass killer. The cost of certified law enforcement officers (options 1-3) are about $100,000 a year. The fourth option is the school marshal program. The cost of a school marshal is about 80 hours to start, with renewal every two years. The fifth option is the school guardian program. The school guardian program is the least expensive and arguably the most effective option.  The cost of the school guardian program is about $800 to $1000 a year. About 450 Texas independent school districts (ISD) out of roughly 1040 ISDs are already participating in the school guardian program. 

The school guardian program, is allowed under Sec. 411.1901:

Sec. 411.1901. SCHOOL SAFETY CERTIFICATION FOR QUALIFIED HANDGUN INSTRUCTORS. 

(a) The department shall establish a process to enable qualified handgun instructors certified under Section 411.190 to obtain an additional certification in school safety. The process must include a school safety certification course that provides training in the following:

(1) the protection of students;

(2) interaction of license holders with first responders;

(3) tactics for denying an intruder entry into a classroom or school facility; and

(4) methods for increasing a license holder's accuracy with a handgun while under duress.

(b) The school safety certification course under Subsection (a) must include not less than 15 hours and not more than 20 hours of instruction.

(c) A qualified handgun instructor certified in school safety under this section may provide school safety training, including instruction in the subjects listed under Subsection (a), to employees of a school district or an open-enrollment charter school who hold a license to carry a handgun issued under this subchapter.

(d) The department shall establish a fee in an amount that is sufficient to cover the costs of the school safety certification under this section.

(e) The department may adopt rules to administer this section.

This correspondent predicts a steep rise in the number of Texas ISDs which participate in the school guardian program in 2024. 

©2023 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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