SAN ANTONIO – Texas House Bill 3, which takes effect Sept. 1, requires school districts to hire armed officers or trained armed personnel to guard each school campus. However, school districts across the area have been struggling to fill those requirements, with a low pool of applicants interested in law enforcement.
North East ISD
On Monday, the North East ISD board of trustees voted to create new roles to hire 46 safety specialists for each school. The new positions would not fall under the district police department but instead under the recently created safety and security department.
The school district will train and certify the specialists before they get on the job.
Applications for the positions go online Tuesday morning.
The district hopes to attract retired military or law enforcement officers and people interested in law enforcement.
The job would be similar to what is known as the guardian program. More details on the new positions will be released Tuesday, according to a district spokesperson.
Harlandale ISD
Harlandale ISD Police Chief Adolfo Hernandez said he will have 18 officers on all of his campuses. He said he feels fortunate.
“Talking to other chiefs, they’re struggling. Law enforcement is declining. Trying to hire people has been a challenge,” he said.
Hernandez feels encouraged that the new fields in school policing might inspire others who want to protect and serve in a different type of setting.
“Some people want to come and serve and be a role model in the school district,” he said.
Southwest ISD
Southwest ISD says their partnership with San Antonio police and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is helping them ensure they hire the right people for the job.
SWISD spokesperson Jenny Suniga-Collier said the district is down about four officers, with only a few weeks left until the start of the school year.
“We’re not going to take anyone just because we have to fill this. We want to make sure they have a good background, they have a good history of quality policing,” she said.
School leaders remind families that school safety is the responsibility of everyone in the community.
“Safety is a shared responsibility. We asked that our parents, you know, take a look at what your kids are looking at on the internet. Who are they talking to? Who are their friends? Just have that open dialogue between your child, and we’re going to do what we can here on campus,” Collier said.
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