Following the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, parents across the state are demanding state leaders implement further measures to ensure the safety of their children at school. While Texas has “certain security measures available,” only a select few are mandatory, according to The Texan.
As reported by The Dallas Express, Gov. Gregg Abbott called for the formation of special legislative committees to discuss ways to improve school safety. The new committees work to determine the best course of action going forward, expanding existing safety mechanisms already in place.
Currently, under Texas Education Code section 38.022, school districts can choose to require any visitor to show identification. They can also set up databases and catalog visitors’ information to guard against unauthorized visitors and any potential sex predators that may try to gain access to a school campus. Of the 1,200 Texan school districts that have this option, none have chosen to utilize this particular policy.
School districts in Texas also have the option to employ their own security guards or commission their own police officers. School security and police officers may conceal and carry firearms as peace officers.
Texas law further states that any school employee in a participating district can sign up for the School Marshall program enacted in 2013, which allows participants to bring firearms onto school campuses. A recent addition to the code through a 2021 bill allows school marshals to carry guns at all times. In order to be a marshal, one must undergo 80 hours of training, which includes enacting active shooter scenarios.
As reported in The Dallas Express, only 62 districts have opted into the program, leaving roughly 95% of school employees unable to sign up.
The Texas legislature also passed a bill providing students greater access to mental health services. This includes staffing mental health counselors on campus and training teachers on mental illness awareness in the hopes they can identify potentially dangerous students ahead of time.
Gov. Abbott worked alongside the Texas School Safety Center to help encourage all school districts in the state to review their emergency protocols and available options.
The governor announced $105 million in new funding for the safety provisions of schools in Texas. Bulletproof shields are among the list of new items added through this funding.
School safety and mental health resources will be discussed further in the next Texas legislative session in January.