The Texas House on Monday passed legislation that is calling for significant investments to beef up schools' safety, including hiring at least one armed security officer at every campus, providing incentives for school employees to get certified to carry a weapon and installing silent panic alert buttons in every classroom.
House Bill 3, authored by Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, passed 122-19. It will be voted on once more before heading to the Senate.
The proposal would also require regular safety inspections of school buildings and would give grants to students who want to attend another school district if their current one is not complying with safety standards. In addition, the bill was amended to give schools $100 for each student who regularly attends classes, plus an additional $15,000 each year, to upgrade their security. The change would raise the cost of the bill from $300 million to about $1.6 billion.
HD Chambers, executive director of the Texas School Alliance, said the state must strike the right balance between making schools safer and not creating environments where children are afraid to go to school.
"Access to mental health services is as important as any effort to harden campuses," he said. "Ultimately, each school district is unique and needs the resources and flexibility to enact solutions that work for its community."
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