TexasCHLforum.com

One more: Pine Tree ISD approves program to arm certain trained staff

A previous article: https://www.news-journal.com/news/local ... 414e9.html

Unfortunately in my view, according to the previous article the staff will not actually be armed. The firearms will be "hidden", not carried on body.

“A teacher interacting with kids, or especially one on the floor with kids, that’s not really feasible to have a firearm on their body,” [Superintendent Steve] Clugston said.

What's really interesting in the first linked article is that it states there are about 300 ISDs that have armed, non-cop, staff. That's a big jump from the last time I looked, so about 25% of the 1227 (IIRC) schools (including charter school) have done this.

I also recently read, but cannot find the link at the moment, that only about 12 schools have gone with the top-down developed, statutory "Marshal" plan, and all the rest with the grass-roots developed "Guardian" plan.

SigM4 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:02 pm Weatherford ISD has had this for a while now as well. Signs posted at all the entrances advising that they will use force to protect their students.

https://www.weatherfordisd.com/apps/pa ... _ID=543527

Thanks, missed this earlier, I added it to my list.

Added Santa Fe ISD to the list at beginning of thread.

https://abc13.com/5991916/

Lumberton ISD now has non-police armed staff.
https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/ ... 909437a536

Added them to my list: https://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php ... 14#p810414

East Central ISD had been considering it, but "shelved it" after "backlash."
https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/ ... 294424.php

Lubbock ISD is investigating the Guardian and School Marshal Programs:
https://www.kcbd.com/2019/08/08/lisd-we ... -teachers/

Oldgringo wrote: ↑Wed Jan 02, 2019 6:47 pm Recently, there was something in the local paper about Rusk ISD considering to allow teachers to carry?

I couldn't find any news articles, but this gosanangelo.com article has a dateabase of school policies, and it does indeed appear that Rusk ISD has authorized the arming of selected staff. These staff must have a current LTC, among other things.

https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/ ... 342396002/

ETA: Peaster ISD also.
http://www.governing.com/topics/educati ... -guns.html

East Central is getting some push-back from the nay-sayers, according to this article:
https://www.expressnews.com/news/educat ... 461853.php

What I found most interesting in the article tho is this quote:

About 280 school districts in Texas allow teachers and staff to be armed, said Joy Baskin, director of legal services for the Texas Association of School Boards.

280 is a significant jump from the last number I remember reading not so long ago. There are just over 1000 independent school districts in Texas, so this represents about 28%.

jmra wrote: ↑Thu Dec 06, 2018 2:23 pm Curious if any of these institutions have adopted a blanket policy of allowing all licensed staff to carry and how many require almost impossible hurdles to get “approval”.

As noted in the above thread as far as is known all but one of the schools that have armed, non-leo, staff, use the Guardian program. Staff members chosen by the superintendent and approved by the school board go thru a psychological evaluation and a training program before the are authorized to carry. It’s not an impossible hurdle but it’s not a paper drill either. I don’t think any school will ever just tell licensed staff just to carry if they want.

troglodyte wrote: ↑Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:39 am Add Ropes ISD, Ropesville, TX

I provided training and they have a large sign.

Good to know. East Central ISD, east of San Antonio near China Grove is also considering this.

Added Navarro ISD. Also Junction, Sterling City, and Water Valley ISDs.

Added Orange and High Island ISDs.

I had most of those already, but added Whiteface and New Deal as well as New Home and Medina ISDs.

ETA: also added George West and Ralls ISDs as having adopted Guardian, Floydada and Forney as considering the program

Sherman ISD is considering adopting a Guardian program. If you live in that area and want to provide input, they have a public meeting this month:

http://www.kten.com/story/38132769/sher ... ty-options

Also Stephenville ISD is considering: http://www.yourstephenvilletx.com/news/ ... arry-plans

Big Spring ISD has a vote scheduled for tomorrow night, Thu 10 May 2018 http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Teache ... 86811.html

Hawkin ISD was looking into it back in March: http://www.woodcountymonitor.com/storie ... ons,122573?


Alvord, Nixon-Smiley, Marlin, Douglass ISDs have all adopted guardian programs.

Thanks. Added.

Vol Texan wrote:

troglodyte wrote:Cross posted.

ELB wrote:
puma guy wrote:
Over 170 School Districts have chosen to arm staff. Kudos to them and I hope Charles is successful in getting legislation passed in 2019 similar to the Church Security Bill.


Do you have a source for the "170"? Better, a list of school districts?

I was researching this a couple years ago, and at that time found news articles about 35 or so districts, and an article that said there were 78 districts that had "adopted the guardian program." I would love to think there's been 100 districts added.

(Snip)

Here is an article that indicates the 170 number is true, with an interactive list):

https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/ ... 391561002/

Thanks, I did see trogo's post later, and had run across that interactive list. Unfortunately the interactive list is really not very helpful, it just provides a pointer to a schools website and regulations, and you have to go there and dig through stuff to find out if they use school marshals or the Guardian program, and the website often doesn't have this info.

So far the best source is TexasISD.com and doing a search on "guardian". I get the impression that whoever runs that website is not in favor of teachers being armed but they do provide links to all kinds of articles about schools in Texas.


Added Seminole and Seagrave.

mojo84 wrote:What are the rules/laws regarding private schools allowing their teachers to carry? I haven't done any research in this area but am curious as I am aware a of couple of private schools that are trying to figure out if they can allow carry.

There are basically two ways: The School Marshal program and the license to carry statute(s). The School Marshal program is laid out in detail by statute, and restricts the school to one marshal for every 400 students, and restricts the availability of the firearm. So most schools that arm non-police staff (nearly all as far as I can tell) go with the LTC based route, usually implemented as a "Guardian Program". Under the LTC statutes, the school can authorize in writing people with LTCs to carry on campus. That's all that is statutorily required, but schools generally add some local requirements as part of the Guardian program: training, psychological testing, maybe proficiency tests, etc.

Private schools are no different than public schools in this regard, they can authorize carry if they want to.