[dalmations202]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Couldn't you use the same money to hire ACTUAL police officers and let them tend to security while the teachers teach?


(I mean, it not like cops make a hell of a lot more money than teachers anyway...)

Let's say I am a small school Texas superintendent. We pay our teachers on avg 35K a year (I have no idea if this is even close anymore -- both parent retired, and sister makes over 50K, but she is a higher paid small town Texas ISD computer district director).

If I have 25 teachers and I can get three to go to peace officer school and get certified. It might cost 20K total to do this. 5K per person for class with ongoing of adding an extra 1500 a year in bonus pay to three current employees. So total cost 20K + 5K yearly.

Yes, every few years, one might leave, and I might have to send a different one to school, but lets face it -- small town teachers usually find a home (at least you can tell the ones the have ties and will stay), and will be there 20 years sometimes.

How many security guards can you hire for 25K or just 5K ongoing?

To get the certification, it takes about 18 hrs of college - academy format, and passing the Texas board test in Austin. If you want to do it from Tarrant county it is Monday through Thursday from 6 - 10:30 p.m. at Tarrant county college, and takes a semester.

This would get you your basic peace officers license, and ensure that you are trained with the firearm, and when you would/should use it, as well as knowing the law about it .


In fact by Texas Education Code:

37.081. SCHOOL DISTRICT PEACE OFFICERS AND SECURITY
PERSONNEL. (a) The board of trustees of any school district may
employ security personnel and may commission peace officers to
carry out this subchapter. If a board of trustees authorizes a
person employed as security personnel to carry a weapon, the person
must be a commissioned peace officer.