If you read one thing: Multiple Texas school districts say they can't staff all of their campuses with armed district police officers as the upcoming school year begins, forcing them to seek alternatives to comply with a new state law addressing school safety.
What is the new law?
House Bill 3, which goes into effect on Sept. 1, mandates that districts must have a district peace officer at every school during school hours and establishes other safety protocols and requirements.
Why can't districts staff all their campuses?
With only about three months' notice, districts across Texas are desperately competing with each other — along with local city police departments and other law enforcement agencies — to hire enough officers amid a nationwide police staffing shortage.
The new requirement also comes with a larger financial burden for districts that is not being fully funded by the state. House Bill 3 provides $15,000 per campus and an additional $10 per student to fund all the security upgrades required by the bill. For some districts the funding gap exceeds well over $1 million.
What happens if districts can't fill every position?
Districts can claim an exception to the law if they do not have enough funding or qualified police officers to comply with the law. However, a district's board of trustees must create an alternative plan, such as having school marshals or qualified employees to serve as police officers.
Read Megan Menchaca's full story here.
No comments:
Post a Comment