Plano ISD will implement school marshal program to meet state security requirements
DALLAS - Plano ISD is one of the area districts relying on the school marshal program to help meet the new requirements by the state to have armed security on all public school campuses. But like many districts, it also won't meet the state's deadline.
Plano ISD says it looked at all of the options on the table and says the school marshal program was the best fit for them. However, the hiring process will take time, including interviews and psychological testing.
The school marshals then must be licensed and then undergo 80 hours of training.
On Plano ISD’s website, there’s now a page to apply to be part of the school marshal program. Under qualifications, it reads, ‘retired peace officer preferred.’
Chief of Safety and Security Operations Kevin Keating says he’s now searching for 49 new district employees to serve as school marshals.
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Dallas ISD says all middle and high school campuses will have an armed security officer in place as students return, but they are scrambling to hire more before a new state law takes effect.
"These will not be the gym coach, the teachers, or custodians. These will be new employees specific to security," he said.
This is in response to the new state law requiring Texas school districts to have at least one armed guard at every school campus effective Sept. 1.
The marshals will be licensed and regulated through the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement, the same agency that licenses police officers in the state.
"They provide the training. They have certain requirements in the school marshal license," Keating said.
But first, the applicants must go through an extensive interview process followed by a psychological test. If they pass, the marshals will then be placed on a waitlist to complete 80 hours of training.
Like many districts, including Dallas ISD, Plano will not meet the requirements for the new law by Sept. 1.
Therefore, the district applied for an exception: an alternate plan on how it’ll eventually comply with the law.
Until all school marshal positions are filled, on and off-duty police officers will visit elementary schools throughout the school day since they do not have school resource officers. SROs are already staffed at all secondary schools.
"In the meantime, we have very good relationships with our local law enforcement partners so we will continue the procedures we have in place until we get the program up and running," Keating said.
Just up the road in Collin County, McKinney ISD is waiting for its school marshals to be licensed.
McKinney has been looking and hiring retired peace officers for its elementary schools since the job was posted in June, but the on-boarding process is still taking place.
Monday, the district announced it too will request an exception from the state, allowing McKinney ISD security personnel to now be armed and a private security firm will also help with staffing.
L&P Global Security in Dallas said it signed a contract with McKinney ISD to supply nine armed security officers by Sept. 1.
Many districts have spoken out about how money coming from the state isn’t going to cover this new program.
Plano ISD says it will cost the district $4.1 million for the school marshal program. The state allocated $1.1 million for them.