As districts in Texas grapple with the realities of school safety and legislative mandates, Medina Valley ISD and South San Antonio ISD are taking decisive steps to enhance security on their campuses. According to reports from FOX San Antonio, Medina Valley ISD recently voted to adopt a school marshal program, which allows for licensed individuals to carry a firearm on school premises.
South San Antonio ISD, having been unable to recruit enough candidates for its police department amid a dearth of applicants, is joining the ranks of districts across the state that are arming staff members. Superintendent Henry Yzaguirre clarified in a June 19 meeting that, contrary to practices in some areas, the district will not consider arming teachers. Instead, as reported by the Express-News, security officers are encouraged to step up into the role, which comes with significant compensation increases and state-funded training.
Medina Valley ISD is looking to fill these marshal positions with a new staff member, targeting retired law enforcement or military personnel for their experience. Meanwhile, South San ISD envisions their existing unarmed security staff as potential marshals, those who usually man the parking lots but are now offered a route to gain more responsibility and higher pay.
Underlying these local decisions is Texas House Bill 3, which demands the presence of at least one armed guard during regular school hours. Both Medina Valley ISD and South San Antonio ISD's moves can be seen as attempts to adhere to this requirement, spurred partially by the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in 2022. "Security is peace of mind for a lot of our parents," Superintendent Henry Yzaguirre told the board, as mentioned in the Express-News, indicating a determination to avoid another year claiming an exemption due to funding and resource shortages.
While marshals for Medina Valley ISD would have their identities held confidential, the South San ISD's approach takes a different tack, with marshals visibly uniformed. "They're not going to be out there issuing tickets," Yzaguirre said. "Their main objective is to be the armed guard and to be prepared for active shooters." The program underscores a burgeoning trend across Texas where, according to the Express-News, over a fifth of a random sample of 100 school districts have armed staff in response to HB3, with 815 educators across 90 districts already trained as school marshals.
