A majority of the more than 1,200 school districts in Texas have yet to comply with a state law requiring armed security on every campus.
Houston Public Media reports that the Texas Senate Education Committee found that less than half of the state's public school systems — about 45% — have complied with the armed security requirement.
State lawmakers passed House Bill 3 in 2023 after the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. In addition to the armed security requirement, it mandated updated emergency preparedness plans with audits at least once every three years, mental health training for school employees, and the development of emergency notification system for parents and guardians.
The vast majority of districts are in compliance with those other aspects of the legislation, the committee said.
Texas has more than 8,000 school campuses. Slightly more than half — about 52% — requested and received a waiver known as a good cause exception, that allowed them to come up with an "alternative standard," such as arming a school marshal or trained teacher.
To pay for armed security, the legislation provided districts $10 a student ( and $15,000 per school.
But in a large district like Dallas, qualified, armed security costs upwards of $85,000 a year, not $15,000. And with 240 schools, that security bill soars.
Nearly 63% of large school districts — those with 26 or more campuses — requested good cause exceptions.
In addition to funding issues, the report said many districts raised concerns with the availability of school safety certification training for handgun instructors, as well as mental health professionals.
