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Burleson ISD hires school safety officers for all campuses
Burleson ISD School Board announced it’s finished hiring its first dedicated team of armed personnel for elementary school campuses. They’re called school safety officers, and there will be one dedicated for each campus.
BURLESON, Texas - A North Texas school district took some major steps to overhaul its security.
Burleson ISD hired its first dedicated school safety team for elementary schools. It consists exclusively of former members of law enforcement.
The school district already partnered with Burleson police to provide resource officers in middle and high schools. Now, elementary schools will have their own dedicated armed security.
Monday, the Burleson ISD School Board announced it’s finished hiring its first dedicated team of armed personnel for elementary school campuses. They’re called school safety officers, and there will be one dedicated for each campus.
"Today is a good day for Burleson ISD. Today, we are safer," said Burleson ISD Superintendent Dr. Bret Jimerson. "When they drop their child off with us, they leave with peace of mind that their child is safe. I want these parents to know when they see these officers, their child will be safe."
The move comes after the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
Before that shooting, Burleson ISD partnered with city police to provide resource officers on middle and high school campuses, but there were none at elementary schools.
"I want to commend your team for moving so quickly. Last spring changed our world," Jimerson said.
The first two school safety officers were hired before the start of the school year. Monday, the school board approved the remaining eight hires.
"We had over 150 applicants. The team we have assembled are here to protect children," Jimerson said.
The district looked specifically for former law enforcement officials.
The new hires have decades of combined experience in departments like Fort Worth, Burleson and Arlington. Some were also on swat teams and worked counterintelligence for the military.
"Students come to learn. Staff come to teach. With the hiring of these officers being assigned to each campus, there’s the peace of mind students can learn," Jimerson said "Teachers can teach without looking over their shoulder or worrying what might be coming down the hall."
The new officers attended the meeting Monday. The district says it found the money to pay for them in the budget but didn’t get into specifics. The officers will be paid on the teacher pay scale.