The Argyle School District considers the safety of our students as our utmost priority. Given the unfortunate and tragic situations that occurred in multiple American schools over the last several years, the Board of Trustees ordered a comprehensive evaluation of District’s safety, security and emergency response policies on December 17, 2012. Following the evaluations, in recognition of concerns regarding effective and timely response to emergency situations on District property, the Board thoroughly considered all available options to increase student and faculty safety.
To gain public comments on several options, the District hosted a community forum on April 24, 2013, to present the various options available to the District. After carefully considering all options and weighing comments, concerns and suggestions from the Argyle ISD community, the Board voted on May 15, 2013 to approve the amending of Local Policy to allow armed staff and district officials. Furthermore, on August 8, 2013, the Board voted to create an Argyle ISD Police Department and further voted on October 21, 2013, to hire Chief Ralph Price as the Department’s first police chief; creating the first armed presence on Argyle ISD school property. Moreover, the Board authorized a pilot training program created to evaluate and train Board-authorized District employees to possess firearms on District property.
After a successful pilot and rigorous evaluation, on Tuesday, January 21, 2014, the Argyle Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to adopt a policy that allows the Board to authorize specific District employees to possess certain firearms on District property, at District-sponsored or District-sanctioned events, and at Board meetings. To maintain the strategic integrity of the new policy and ensure the stability and ongoing effectiveness of the new procedures, the District will not be making public the comprehensive details of the new procedures. However, the new procedures contain the following requirements and safeguards:
• District staff authorized to possess will come from a volunteer pool.
• Only District employees who have obtained and maintain a current license, in accordance with state law, to carry a concealed
handgun are eligible to be considered for authorization to possess a firearm on District property.
• To become eligible for Board authorization, employees will have passed a rigorous interview process, a complete psychological
evaluation and a comprehensive firearms and emergency response training course. The Board will authorize individual
employees to possess only after these psychological and training requirements have been met.
• Authorization votes will be taken by the Board in Executive Session and will not be made public.
• Authorized employees will be required to participate in an ongoing requalification process throughout the course of the school
year.
• The program will be overseen by the Argyle ISD Chief of Police.
• Ongoing, district-wide emergency response and active shooter trainings and exercises will be held at each Argyle ISD campus
throughout the school year.
• Signs will be erected at each Argyle ISD campus announcing the potential presence of armed school personnel.
• The Board will monitor this policy and its implementation on an ongoing basis.
