A law passed by the Texas Legislature this year requires every school district in the state to have an armed security guard on every campus starting in September.
The legislation came as lawmakers renewed focus on school safety in response to the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, when 21 people were killed. However, it’s unclear how soon some districts will be able to implement the new security measures as officials navigate financial hurdles and a competitive marketplace ahead of the 2023-24 school year.
With 47 schools in the Leander ISD system, Superintendent Bruce Gearing said “there is no way” the district will be able to place an officer at every campus by the time school starts Aug. 16.
“That’s not going to happen,” he said. “So we’ll continue to work really closely with our [law enforcement] agencies and then also explore every other opportunity that we have to meet the mandates of the law.”
As part of the legislation, districts will receive $10 per student and $15,000 per campus to meet the requirements. However, Gearing said this will not be enough to fund all of the district’s new safety and security measures, and the board of trustees will likely have to approve amendments to the district’s operating budget throughout the year as it works to meet the new standards.
Gearing also said the law will have an impact on law enforcement agencies the district works with, including the Leander Police Department, the Cedar Park Police...
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