LONGVIEW, Texas — Longview ISD declared on Monday the district does not have enough qualified staff to meet the new state law requirement that each campus have an armed security officer present during school hours.
LISD Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Craig Coleman said because of a shortage of qualified personnel, Longview ISD like other Texas districts cannot guarantee an armed officer will be on every campus daily.
Under House Bill 3, school districts are now required to have an armed officer at every one of its campuses; however, schools can file a good cause exemption due to either a lack of funding and qualified personnel.
According to the text of the bill, the school district must develop an alternative standard that the district can comply with, which can include a person acting as a security officer who is a school marshal or employee or contracted person who has completed school safety training from a qualified handgun instructor certified in school safety and carries a handgun.
"The board determined this shortage constitutes good cause for a House Bill 3 exception," Coleman said. "The district will now develop an alternative security plan using available resources. State law requires the district outline an alternative security standard in response."
Coleman said the lack of qualified personnel has been confirmed by local law enforcement.