Dallas ISD trustees vote on exemption from armed guard mandate

The Dallas school board moved forward with a safety plan that does not include stationing armed security at every campus.

The trustees claimed a good cause exemption from a new state law requiring armed personnel at all schools. Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde previously said that the district does not have enough funding or workforce to meet the mandate.

Board members talked about security in a closed session, but they did not discuss the specifics of their alternative plan before unanimously approving it Thursday night.

She said it’s impossible right now to hire enough licensed peace officers to fill every vacancy in the district. Nearby school districts are simultaneously scrambling to look for and onboard officers. And several municipal police forces, including the city of Dallas, are already short-staffed.

DISD would need to fill roughly 160 positions, Elizalde said. Dallas ISD operates its own police force, and Dallas secondary schools have long had officers stationed on campus. But the district has to figure out what to do about the district’s many elementary schools.

School leaders are allowed to satisfy the state requirement by empowering certain staff members, including teachers, to carry guns on campus under Texas’ guardian plan or marshal program.

That’s not going to happen in DISD. Elizalde said that too many things can go wrong.