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Temple ISD declares good‑cause exception for commissioned peace‑officer requirement for armed campus personnel
Summary
The board approved a resolution finding good cause to deviate from the statutory requirement that armed campus officers be commissioned peace officers, citing funding and availability of trained personnel; the district will continue to have armed personnel at every campus but said some will not meet the commissioned‑officer criterion immediately.
The Temple ISD Board of Trustees on July 14 adopted a resolution declaring a good‑cause exception to the statutory requirement that armed personnel at school campuses be commissioned peace officers. District staff said the exception is necessary because current state funding levels and the availability and training timeline for commissioned officers mean the district cannot staff every campus immediately with certified peace officers.
District staff explained the statutory framework requires armed personnel at campuses and includes a preferred standard that such staff be commissioned police officers (for example, school resource officers). The district said the state allotment this year provides approximately $20 per student for the requirement, but the full cost to comply with all statutory requirements — including employing commissioned officers — is roughly $312 per student, creating a funding gap.
Staff also cited personnel constraints: even if funding were available, training and commissioning additional SROs through the police department could take up to 18 months. The resolution therefore declares a good‑cause exception for the commissioned‑peace‑officer requirement while the district continues to provide armed personnel at each campus through other means, and maintains SRO coverage at secondary schools (one per middle school and two at the high school).
Trustees voted to approve the resolution; the chair called for a motion and the board passed it by voice vote. The board did not authorize any specific hiring or contract at the meeting; the action is a formal recognition of the district’s temporary, documented exception to the commissioned‑officer requirement.
The approved resolution does not remove the district’s obligation to provide campus security and noted the district had armed personnel at every campus the previous year. District staff said they will continue working on funding and training plans to meet statutory standards as practicable.
Board members did not cite a specific statute by number during the public discussion; they described the requirement in general terms and focused on funding and personnel availability as the bases for the declared exception.
