A majority of Texas’ more than 1,200 school districts haven’t yet complied with a state law requiring armed security on every campus.
State lawmakers passed House Bill 3 in 2023 after the deadly Uvalde school shooting. Among other things, 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.
A January report by the Texas Senate Education Committee found the vast majority of districts are in compliance with aspects of HB3, but less than half — about 45% — have complied with the armed security requirement.
There are more than 8,000 campuses in the state. 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, HB3 provided districts $10 a student (increased from $9.72), and $15,000 per school.
But in a large district like Dallas ISD, board officials told KERA in 2023 that 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 DPS school safety certification training for handgun instructors,” as well as mental health professionals.
“Many school districts seek a psychological evaluation before allowing an individual to be armed on campus,” the report read. “Our Committee heard testimony regarding the need to seek mental health professionals in other states due to the lack of available workforce in Texas.”
The committee recommended the state increase the pool of trainers for armed employees and marshals, and that the state “continue to explore the appropriate balance between a mixed state-local funding partnership in a heightened environment of increased threats in school settings.”
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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