Texas Bill Proposes $25,000 for School Employees Authorized to Act as Armed Guards

Armed Teachers in Texas Could Get $25,000 Stipend

Everything is bigger in Texas, including their efforts to keep schools safe. A new bill proposes a stipend of up to $25,000 for public school employees who are authorized to act as armed guards on school grounds. This is a response to the recent trend of training armed school staff after mass shootings at educational facilities across the country.

Texas lawmakers advanced House Bill 13 on April 25, which will provide funding for “training, preparedness, and funding for school safety and emergencies.” The act passed with bipartisan support and will now head to the Texas Senate, where it faces a vote.

The bill, if passed, would allow employees of public and charter schools in the state to apply for the School Guardian Training stipend. Applicants will be required to take courses in first aid, firearms training, and rigorous mental health training before they are allowed to act as part-time campus security in addition to their regular duties.

Texas to Expand Training Program for Armed Teachers

Texas already allows teachers who have undergone proper firearms training to carry guns under a voluntary program. A voluntary school marshal program was created after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012, which allowed districts to appoint peace officers to protect the classroom in case of a school shooter threat. Applicants must complete various requirements, including 80 hours of firearms training and pass a psychological exam, but the program has drawn few takers.

The marshal program had only certified just 33 school employees across Texas in its first four years across 9,000 campuses. There were still only fewer than 400 applicants by the summer of 2022, in the immediate wake of the Uvalde massacre.

Legislators in Texas to Pass More Bills to Improve School Safety

Other new school safety measures being pushed in Texas would require at least one armed person, such as a law enforcement officer or a trained staff member, on all campuses. A separate bill, which will place silent panic buttons in every classroom, is now headed to Gov. Greg Abbott to sign.