Texas Schools Struggling to Comply With State Law Mandating Armed Security Officers: Reports

A school bus passes a Uvalde Strong sign placed in the window of a business to honor the victims killed in the recent school shooting at Robb Elementary, in Uvalde, Texas, on June 9, 2022. Eric Gay/AP Photo

A new Texas law aimed at bolstering public school safety by requiring, among other things, armed security guards at the nearly 9,000 public school campuses across the state went into effect earlier this month. However, not every school has opted to comply with the legislation, according to reports.

Texas House Bill 3 was signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on June 14 and went into effect on Sept. 1.

The legislation came in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in May 2022.

Under the new law, schools are required to develop and implement a “multihazard emergency operations plan” addressing “prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response” during disaster and emergency situations. They must also establish a “school safety and security committee,” regularly conduct emergency school drills and exercises, and identify weaknesses or vulnerabilities in their campus security.

“The board of trustees of each school district shall determine the appropriate number of armed security officers for each district campus,” the measure states. “The board must ensure that at least one armed security officer is present during regular school hours at each district campus.”

A school district peace officer; a school resource officer; a commissioned peace officer employee; a school marshal; or a school district employee who has completed school safety training and carries a handgun on their person on school premises may be employed as the armed guard, the bill states.

Schools must also provide mental health training to employees who regularly interact with students regarding “the recognition and support of children and youth who experience a mental health or substance use issue that may pose a threat to school safety.”

Reggie Daniels pays his respects a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on June 9, 2022. Eric Gay, File/AP Photo

Funding Issues

Additionally, they must agree to undergo annual on-site intruder detection audits, safety and security audits of school facilities every three years, and a review of facilities every five years.

As part of the measure, the state will provide school districts with a $15,000 grant per campus to cover the costs.

The legislation contains exceptions for schools that cannot afford to hire armed security guards or do not have enough personnel who qualify as security officers and are therefore unable to comply with the law.

Republican lawmakers and supporters have championed the bill for helping to bolster safety at Texas schools.

However, it has also faced backlash from opponents including the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit focused on equal educational opportunity, which cited a study by the National Library of Medicine.

That study found that the majority of school shooters are actively suicidal and intend to die in the act, raising concerns over how effective armed security on school campuses would be in deterring such shooting incidents.

Meanwhile, many schools across the state have begun the school term without armed guards in place due to a lack of funding or staff, The Associated Press reported.

A makeshift memorial sits outside Robb Elementary School, the site of a mass shooting on May 24, in Uvalde, Texas, on June 21, 2022. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

Schools Struggling to Hire Armed Guards

“We all support the idea,” Stephanie Elizalde, superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District, which has more than 140,000 students, told the publication. “The biggest challenge for all superintendents is that this is yet again an unfunded mandate.”

Ms. Elizalde noted that while the state is providing the additional $15,000 per campus, that is still not enough to hire additional armed officers, which would cost an extra $75,000 for each additional officer in Texas’s second-largest district, she said.

According to a separate analysis from IDRA, the price of hiring an armed security guard for an entire school year could cost up to $100,000.

As a result, some school districts have hired private security farms or are instead arming more staff and teachers, according to AP.

Others, including Houston ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Katy ISD are seeking exemptions from the law, after failing to fulfill positions for officers at some of its schools, Houston Public Media reported.

“All school districts that do have police departments, and not all do, but all school districts that have police departments, by my understanding, have struggled to fill spots,” said Steve Bassett, deputy superintendent of Fort Bend ISD, told the publication. “There has been some funding that’s come with these mandates, but it’s not nearly enough.”

“When you’re talking about security guards, for us to have a security guard to fill all the spots we have at elementary schools, that’s going to cost over $2.5 million,” he said.

A spokesperson for Mr. Abbott’s office told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement, “Keeping our schools and communities safe remains a top priority for Governor Abbott, which is why he made school safety an emergency item for the 88th Regular Legislative Session.”

“Working with the Texas Legislature, Governor Abbott signed HB 3 into law this year to provide schools with the resources they need to ensure safe learning environments for students and educators,” the spokesperson continued.

“HB 3 allows for flexibility when school districts have difficulty finding licensed peace officers, with programs like the school marshal and guardian programs. The Texas Education Agency’s new Office of Safety and Security is working directly with school districts to ensure campuses are using these initiatives to their full potential.

“Governor Abbott will continue working with the Legislature to expand school safety initiatives and ensure all Texas students can thrive.”