School Safety and Texas HB 3
School Safety and Texas HB 3
There have been a lot of questions and misinformation in articles written about TX HB3 and what it means. I will be explaining all of that in this Article.
Since 2013, Texas School Districts have had 5 options.
- Option 1- Have a School Resource Officer (SRO).
- Option 2- Have a security officer who is unarmed. If they are a commissioned Police Officer by the State of Texas, then they can be armed.
- Option 3- Armed Staff also known as School Guardians.
- Option 4- Have a School Marshal who is Licensed by TECOLE or have a School Police Department.
- Option 5- The school does not always have a trained individual on campus with a firearm.
Due to a horrible event in Texas where a school district did not have a full-time armed individual on campus, the Texas legislature passed House Bill 3 or TX HB3 in 2023.
What does that mean?
It means they no longer have Option 5 of not always having a trained individual on campus with a firearm. This means that each campus must always have one trained individual on each campus with a firearm.
The school districts have their own District Police Department, a School Resource Officer on each campus at all times, or they can have an armed Security Guard on each campus. They also have the option to have a School Marshal on each campus that is certified and trained through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). The School Marshals can be teachers, coaches, or administrators. They can also be Individuals that the schools have hired and being a School Marshal is their primary job. The larger school districts will primarily use 1 of these 2 options or both.
School marshals can open carry or conceal carry. These individuals will check the school for unlocked doors and make sure the school is always secure. Their job is to make sure the students in the school are safe and to stop any kind of threat that jeopardizes the safety of the school or students. I personally know several of them through JM4 Tactical and also our training facility JM4 Dimensions located in Abilene Texas.
Now let’s talk about the Guardian Program. I have a lot of knowledge and experience in this area because I have been training School Guardians since 2019. Our JM4 Dimensions Team of instructors are very knowledgeable on Active Threat. This program is typically in the smaller school districts. T Guardian Program will consist of school teachers and administrators that have volunteered to go through the training to carry a firearm in a school. The Guardians initial training will consist of the Texas DPS School Program, and they will receive this through a Certified Texas DPS School Safety Instructor. The instructor must be registered with the https://txssc.txstate.edu/ .and when the course is complete, the instructor will turn in a form to the state with each student’s name on it.
Now, let me caution you if you are a school district looking for an instructor to help you with the Guardian Training at your school. I have seen an upwards of $ 1,600.00 per student for the initial training for the Texas DPS 2-day program. If you look around, you will find some good quality Instructors. These instructors will add a lot to the initial program and then start a training program layout with the school throughout the year.
The average cost I have seen is $300.00-$400.00 per student, per day, and this includes the travel expense of the instructors. No, this is not you “get what you pay for situation.” When Permitless Carry passed in Texas and then HB 3 passed. There were a lot of Texas LTC Instructors that applied to get their Texas School Safety Certification. Some had no background or extensive training, except teaching a power point Texas LTC class on the weekends. Now with that being said, you do have to have your Texas LTC Instructor Certification before you can apply for your Texas School Safety Certification as an Instructor. I have seen these basic 2-day programs. They are 90% power points, 10% shooting, and overpriced. Remember “you don’t know what you don’t know”, and if you get a basic Instructor that “does not know”, you are setting your team up for failure. Your team is only as good as your instructor.
If you are in, Marbel falls, Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, or even Amarillo Texas, make sure you shop around, and not just in your area. Texas Cetified Instructors can travel from any part of the state, also make sure you are asking the right questions Schools On Target Texas. For example, the teams that I know of that have quality instructors will have you shooting around 600 rounds on day 1. The instructors will also have extensive background and understanding that you are teacher’s 1st. Cool Breeze Training, https://cincopesotraining.com/ https://www.gladiatordefensegroup.com/
The instructor you choose should stay up to date on laws and should be available to you between training dates to answer any questions or concerns you may have. So, choose wisely.
Written by: Chad Myers
