Texas school districts have been struggling to meet the requirement of having an armed officer at each campus since the passing of House Bill 3 in 2023. The law requires $10 per student and $15,000 per school for safety funding, but many districts say this is not enough to cover the costs.
Lawmakers in the current legislative session are discussing increasing school safety funding, with proposals ranging from $20 to $100 per student. However, districts like Thorndale Independent School District and Tomball Independent School District say even doubling the current allotment would not be sufficient to cover the expenses of hiring armed officers at each school.
Other challenges, such as law enforcement shortages, have made it difficult for districts to staff armed officers at all schools. With deficits in many districts, there is a growing concern about the funding gap created by the school safety requirements.
Legislators have introduced bills to address these funding challenges, but some school officials believe more substantial increases are needed to ensure the safety of students and staff. While efforts are being made to increase school safety funding, it remains to be seen whether the proposed funding will be enough to meet the needs of Texas school districts.
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