Mesquite ISD approves plan to hire armed security guards on elementary campuses
MESQUITE, Texas - A week after school started, Mesquite ISD approved its plan to staff security at schools. Leaders there believe they may have staff in place by the state's deadline.
Board of trustees unanimously approved a bid Monday night with a security company that Allen, McKinney and Wylie ISDs are also using.
This is a decision that directly affects a majority of schools in Mesquite ISD. It will now have armed security guards at its 34 elementary schools, the only level of school it has not had an armed presence.
"Currently, we have school resource officers from Balch Springs and Mesquite Police Department that serve our secondary schools," said Taylor Morris with Mesquite ISD.
Board of trustees approved the action Monday night. For now, it’ll contract L&P Global Security on a two-year deal.
"If a bad guy shows up on our campus, then they’re there to try to intervene while we wait on law enforcement," Morris said.
Mesquite ISD hires private security company
Another school district in North Texas is working on adhering to a new state law that focuses on school security. The board of trustees voted unanimously to use security company L&P Global for two years. It's the same company that Allen, McKinney, and Wylie ISD are using to put armed guards on all campuses.
The new state law requiring an armed officer on every campus goes into effect Sept. 1.
Even though it’s only weeks away, the district believes the armed guards will be in place by then.
The district says it’ll cost roughly $2 million, but that the state will cover $750,000.
"To be honest, the burden that it adds is just the financial burden. We’re already financially strapped," Morris said.
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Last week, a Mesquite ISD student at John Horn High School was arrested for allegedly bringing a gun to the first day of school. The district says it found the gun while enforcing its new clear bag policy.
While the new armed security officers will change the plans of elementary schools, the district believes it’s a step to ease some concerns.
"It is going to give our parents of elementary school students peace of mind," Morris said.
The security guards will not be involved in disciplining students or making arrests.