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NEISD expands campus safety specialist program, cites training and recruitment gains
Summary
District security director Paul Duran briefed the board on NEISDsafety specialist program, describing enhanced training beyond state minimums, veteran-heavy hiring and early on-campus interventions; Canyon Ridge Elementary principal Nicole Rich described a noticeable increase in staff and family confidence.
Paul Duran, NEISDsenior director for safety and security, told the board that the districtestablished a campus safety specialist (CSS) position to satisfy House Bill 3 requirements while adding extensive training and operational limits to the role.
Duran said the program prioritizes candidates with military, law enforcement or emergency-management experience and includes background checks, medical and psychological screening, and continuous in-service training. "The CSS does not have law enforcement authority, and they're not a substitute for police officers," Duran said, adding that staff are prepared to intervene in an active threat until law enforcement arrives.
Why it matters: NEISD adopted the safety specialist approach after seeking a good-cause exemption from the HB 3 requirement for a peace officer on every campus. Board members were told the districthas built a program that aims to exceed the minimum statutory training while keeping CSS engagement rules limited and clearly defined.
Duran said NEISD has drawn a strong applicant pool: more than 200 applicants were received during a recent posting (he later clarified total applications since the program began exceed 300), with roughly 80 interviews and approximately one hire per six applicants. He described training elements required by the program and the districtprogram: firearm proficiency under duress, tactics to deny an intruder access, coordination with first responders, first aid and stop-the-bleed, incident command and de-escalation strategies.
Duran gave two campus examples to illustrate the role: a safety specialist directed responding officers to a suspect hiding near a school fence and coordinated the campus to place the campus in a standard response protocol; in another case a safety specialist and a nurse administered life-saving measures until EMS arrived.
Nicole Rich, principal at Canyon Ridge Elementary School, said the presence of a safety specialist has improved preparations and relationships on her campus: "First and foremost, our students and our staff just feel safer. They absolutely do," Rich said, describing weekly reports from the specialist, improved drills, and a positive response from families.
Board members asked about recruitment, coordination with NEISD police and municipal departments, and the distinction between CSS duties and collateral duties for existing staff. Duran and district leaders said the CSS positions are dedicated safety assignments, not collateral duties for teachers or administrators, and that the program was designed to avoid the staffing and retention issues that led to the good-cause exemption.
No formal action was taken; the presentation served as an operational update and prompted questions from trustees about future staffing, funding and coordination with local police.
