Curious if anyone has opinions on this.

https://www.kbtx.com/2023/08/08/house-bill-3-takes-effect-september-bryan-isd-approves-security-contract/

BISD is hiring some security firm to put security guards in all their schools. The state's requiring it but not funding it at all. BISD says it is costing $700K, although part of their cost is covered by a donation from some couple.

Not sure how trained these security guards are on working with kids (they're going to be in elementary schools).

Actually if TLIAC is still on here, I'd really like to know what she thinks about this.

The good part for Bryan ISD, I'm pretty sure TNT Security Solutions employs off-duty police officers. So hopefully BISD will have licensed police officers in each of the schools.

The couple that made the donation, Donna and Don Adam, own American Momentum Bank as well as Miramont Country Club, among other things. They have always been huge supporters of the B/CS community, both with action and financial.

****oos want soft targets, they want to kill, what they do not want is to fight. Putting armed personnel in schools has always been the most reliable way to stop gun violence in schools. If you harden the target the threat goes away in 99.9999999% of the cases.

Cowards do not want to fight. This should have been done 30 years ago, and I would have no problem with tax dollars funding it. Compared to some of the things we spend tax dollars on this is a no brainer. My 2c

threecatcorner said:

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Curious if anyone has opinions on this.

https://www.kbtx.com/2023/08/08/house-bill-3-takes-effect-september-bryan-isd-approves-security-contract/

BISD is hiring some security firm to put security guards in all their schools. The state's requiring it but not funding it at all. BISD says it is costing $700K, although part of their cost is covered by a donation from some couple.

Not sure how trained these security guards are on working with kids (they're going to be in elementary schools).

Actually if TLIAC is still on here, I'd really like to know what she thinks about this.

---

Leave it to KBTX to not research a story and to leave out pertinent info. The state is funding part of this mandate. Each district gets $15k per campus and an additional $10 per student specifically for this.

BISD has 23 campus. That's $345k in state funding. Last year BISD had 16k students so that's an additional $160k in state funding. The ISD should be receiving $505k in state funding to cover this which means their cost is ~$200k. I wouldn't doubt it if that $200k is what Don Adams gifted to the district. That info should be public record. Why didn't KBTX include the value of that gift in their story? If TNT is off duty cops - good on them, but I can't imagine that's cheaper than contracting direct with the local agencies.

I'd like KBTX to provide more info about why BISD is going this route. The intent of the law was to have armed police officers or actual school district employees (who care about the kids) being armed. BISD has to have a "good cause exception" for not hiring police officers, but the story doesn't go into what exception BISD is claiming.

Quote:

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(b) A security officer described by Subsection (a) must be:

(1) a school district peace officer;

(2) a school resource officer; or

(3) a commissioned peace officer employed as security personnel under Section 37.081.

(c) If the board of trustees of a school district is unable to comply with this section, the board may claim a good cause exception from the requirement to comply with this section if the district's noncompliance is due to the availability of:

(1) funding; or

(2) personnel who qualify to serve as a security officer described by Subsection (a).

(d) The board of trustees of a school district that claims a good cause exception under Subsection (c) must develop an alternative standard with which the district is able to comply, which may include providing a person to act as a security officer who is:

(1) a school marshal; or

(2) a school district employee or a person with whom

the district contracts who:

(A) has completed school safety training

provided by a qualified handgun instructor certified in school

safety under Section 411.1901, Government Code; and

(B) carries a handgun on school premises in

accordance with written regulations or written authorization of the

district under Section 46.03(a)(1)(A), Penal Code.

---

EliteElectric said:

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****oos want soft targets, they want to kill, what they do not want is to fight. Putting armed personnel in schools has always been the most reliable way to stop gun violence in schools. If you harden the target the threat goes away in 99.9999999% of the cases.

Cowards do not want to fight. This should have been done 30 years ago, and I would have no problem with tax dollars funding it. Compared to some of the things we spend tax dollars on this is a no brainer. My 2c

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txyaloo said:

---

threecatcorner said:

---

Curious if anyone has opinions on this.

https://www.kbtx.com/2023/08/08/house-bill-3-takes-effect-september-bryan-isd-approves-security-contract/

BISD is hiring some security firm to put security guards in all their schools. The state's requiring it but not funding it at all. BISD says it is costing $700K, although part of their cost is covered by a donation from some couple.

Not sure how trained these security guards are on working with kids (they're going to be in elementary schools).

Actually if TLIAC is still on here, I'd really like to know what she thinks about this.

---

Leave it to KBTX to not research a story and to leave out pertinent info. The state is funding part of this mandate. Each district gets $15k per campus and an additional $10 per student specifically for this.

BISD has 23 campus. That's $345k in state funding. Last year BISD had 16k students so that's an additional $160k in state funding. The ISD should be receiving $505k in state funding to cover this which means their cost is ~$200k. I wouldn't doubt it if that $200k is what Don Adams gifted to the district. That info should be public record. Why didn't KBTX include the value of that gift in their story? If TNT is off duty cops - good on them, but I can't imagine that's cheaper than contracting direct with the local agencies.

I'd like KBTX to provide more info about why BISD is going this route. The intent of the law was to have armed police officers or actual school district employees (who care about the kids) being armed. BISD has to have a "good cause exception" for not hiring police officers, but the story doesn't go into what exception BISD is claiming.

Quote:

---

(b) A security officer described by Subsection (a) must be:

(1) a school district peace officer;

(2) a school resource officer; or

(3) a commissioned peace officer employed as security personnel under Section 37.081.

(c) If the board of trustees of a school district is unable to comply with this section, the board may claim a good cause exception from the requirement to comply with this section if the district's noncompliance is due to the availability of:

(1) funding; or

(2) personnel who qualify to serve as a security officer described by Subsection (a).

(d) The board of trustees of a school district that claims a good cause exception under Subsection (c) must develop an alternative standard with which the district is able to comply, which may include providing a person to act as a security officer who is:

(1) a school marshal; or

(2) a school district employee or a person with whom

the district contracts who:

(A) has completed school safety training

provided by a qualified handgun instructor certified in school

safety under Section 411.1901, Government Code; and

(B) carries a handgun on school premises in

accordance with written regulations or written authorization of the

district under Section 46.03(a)(1)(A), Penal Code.

---

---

Why could BISD not do both - isn't more better? One officer in a school with multiple doors isn't enough.

Just asking. We know now how a lone non responding officer led to increased deaths by not engaging.

Don't have any school agers anymore - but certainly want any school - private or public safe.

As a parent of a BISD student, I am thrilled they are on top of this and taking these steps. While I would prefer Bryan PD or Brazos County Sheriff's deputies to be the security officers in place, if TNT officers employees commissioned peace officers as mandated by the new rules, I would be okay with it. I personally would not want armed teachers around my children.

I am also glad to hear about the nightlock devices as identified in the KBTX article. I've seen some reports on these and they seem promising.

Kudos to BISD for keeping this important issue at the forefront.

Currently, BISD has Resource Officers (ROs) from Bryan PD and CSISD has ROs from Brazos County Sheriff's Office. The ISDs reimburse these agencies for the cost of the ROs. HB3 was passed in June 2023 and goes into effect September 1. Neither Law Enforcement agency previously mentioned can provide enough additional ROs to cover all campuses in such a short period. Also, with such a short timeframe, it is not prudent for Districts to rush arming current personnel without a plan and training. Thus, TNT is a good alternative to meet the requirements of HB3 quickly.

HB 3 increased the per-student safety allotment by $0.28 per student (from $9.72/student to $10/student) and each campus gets an additional $15K per campus for safety measures. These additional funds come far from covering the cost of the new requirements.

So no, this is not an unfunded mandate--it is a grossly underfunded mandate.

As mentioned in the previous posts, the Adam Foundation did provide both BISD and CSISD a one-time $1M donation for safety and security. In the case of BISD, TNT will cost $700K/year--so if BISD used that donation for only armed security officers, then the funds would be exhausted in just over a year.

HB3 is more than just having one armed security officer at each campus. School infrastructure must be updated to include non-scalable fencing, hardened entries, communication systems, etc. The bill also requires school staff to complete mental health training.

Let me be clear, I believe all these items should have already been addressed, but the state desires to reduce the local revenue ISDs can generate via tax rate compression and increased homestead exemptions--but at the same time require Districts, such as BISD and CSISD, to spend an additional $700K-$1M/year in safety. You can't have it both ways.

Should the unthinkable happen I hope these security team members have really good shoot or no shoot training. And I hope theyre held to a high marksmanship standard. Personally they should be held to a higher marksmanship standard than police. Once a year qual isnt sufficient.

Nealthedestroyer said:

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Should the unthinkable happen I hope these security team members have really good shoot or no shoot training. And I hope theyre held to a high marksmanship standard. Personally they should be held to a higher marksmanship standard than police. Once a year qual isnt sufficient.

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They'll never have to fire a shot. Their mere presence is a large enough deterrent to cowards.

My dog barks at people, she may never bite but she's big and scary and thus a deterrent to 99.99999999999% of potential intruders by her very presence.

That's a good point, with one caveat: in my reading, most school shooters have no expectations of surviving. They're only purpose is to kill before being killed. Maybe a guard can prevent that, but I doubt it.

75AG said:

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That's a good point, with one caveat: in my reading, most school shooters have no expectations of surviving. They're only purpose is to kill before being killed. Maybe a guard can prevent that, but I doubt it.

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But when there is the threat of being killed before you can even kill, it is a HUGE deterrent.

Maybe.

EliteElectric said:

---

Nealthedestroyer said:

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Should the unthinkable happen I hope these security team members have really good shoot or no shoot training. And I hope theyre held to a high marksmanship standard. Personally they should be held to a higher marksmanship standard than police. Once a year qual isnt sufficient.

---

They'll never have to fire a shot. Their mere presence is a large enough deterrent to cowards.

My dog barks at people, she may never bite but she's big and scary and thus a deterrent to 99.99999999999% of potential intruders by her very presence.

---

This may be sufficient for some but not for me. Hell I'd happily pitch in extra tax money to help pay for this training and ammo if it meant more competency. CAG levels of competency in an ideal setting.

A wise man once said the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun. I'm all for armed guards in schools. Sad we need them but we sure do need them.

apparently they can because they did

Yes, the great, all-knowing state legislators can and did. It is needed, no doubt, but it's amusing that the State of Texas doesn't want any interference from the Federal government, but the State is more than happy to dictate to the Counties, Cities, and ISDs.

uh, ok.

Perhaps the NRA could help fund the security officers?

• Good for the schools
• Good publicity for the NRA
• Win/Win for everyone.

Mr.Short-termMemory said:

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I'm pretty sure TNT Security Solutions employs off-duty police officers. So hopefully BISD will have licensed police officers in each of the schools.

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No, they employ security officers. There is a sister company that employs police officers, but this is not it. Also, there are not enough police officers with the free time to staff every school in the area. There just aren't. Work like this would have to be when they're off the clock from their day job. This is why some schools form their own police departments. I've worked with TNT folks and they do a fantastic job. I think this is a huge step in the right direction for Texas.

threecatcorner said:

---

Curious if anyone has opinions on this.

https://www.kbtx.com/2023/08/08/house-bill-3-takes-effect-september-bryan-isd-approves-security-contract/

BISD is hiring some security firm to put security guards in all their schools. The state's requiring it but not funding it at all. BISD says it is costing $700K, although part of their cost is covered by a donation from some couple.

Not sure how trained these security guards are on working with kids (they're going to be in elementary schools).

Actually if TLIAC is still on here, I'd really like to know what she thinks about this.

---

Still around, just not as frequently. I know the owners of TNT and I know that they prefer to hire former/retired law enforcement and military. They require that the individuals they hire have an active Level 3 license (armed security guard). Ideally, someone would provide these security guards with some training in dealing with kiddos and the associated issues that can occurr. They need Education Code knowledge even if they can't make arrests. That said, the fact that an armed person is on school grounds should provide a good deterent. I know that for aesthetic purposes the schools don't really like the idea of fencing around the property but our campuses are so large now, it's really the best way to provide limited access to the school. It's hard to keep your eyes on all of the exterior doors at all times.

75AG said:

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Maybe.

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Experience tells us that when confronted with armed resistance these guys turn the gun on themselves. That's for all public shooters not just schools. An overwhelming number of shootings occur in places where the shooter knows he won't meet armed resistance. Rational people comply with "gun free zone" signs at schools but by definition these people aren't rational.

This isn't a perfect solution but it puts an armed and trained professional on site and they will have instructions to make rounds to check doors and training on how to handle an active shooter if God forbid it happens.

Off duty police cost about twice what security guards cost and none of the local agencies has the staffing anymore. Every agency in the area is short staffed. Many districts have formed their own PD and we've even seen some of the smaller more remote districts do that. Not sure if that's a good or bad idea here but that takes time and a whole other level of funding the local districts probably don't have. Willis ISD has its own PD so certainly the new CS Superintendent is familiar with that model.

I just talked to my friend that owns TNT, his plan for this is amazing. I can promise you that he has every intention of doing as much as possible to keep the kiddos safe. First, I will tell you that Loyal Ag is 100% correct in stating that we do not have enough local officers to staff every school. Plus, even if there were enough officers, using them would eliminate the consistency of having the same person in the same school every day and that is so important. Using local law enforcement would mean they are working off duty, thus you would basically have a different officer almost every day. Having the same person in the same school each day gives that person the advantage of knowing the kids, knowing the building, knowing the problems.

The owner of TNT is paying significantly above the local market rate for level 3 security guards. Therefore, he can be very selective in who he hires. He is bringing in highly trained law enforcement professionals to train these armed guards in de-escalation training, active threat training, active shooter training and much more. They will have extra firearms training offered and they will have to qualify twice a year as opposed to the once-a-year most local officers qualify. They will have training in the education code. He told me that he is going to provide more training than most local officers are able to receive, and he will be totally involved in making sure the guards are properly trained. In addition, since the guards work for TNT, he will be able to remove them if they are not performing as they should.

I can tell you as a former school resource officer that these guards will take ownership in their schools. Due to the current climate towards police, I don't really miss law enforcement. However, I do miss my CSHS campus. The environment, especially on an elementary school campus, is so positive, you can't help but love the kids like your own.

Some interesting data on shootings: Presence of Armed School Officials and Fatal and Nonfatal Gunshot Injuries During Mass School Shootings, United States, 1980-2019. Link in the abstract to the full article.

From the linked paper after correctly stating it could not account for deterred shootings (since they didn't happen):

Quote:

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However, the data suggest no association between having an armed officer and deterrence of violence in these cases. An armed officer on the scene was the number one factor associated with increased casualties after the perpetrators' use of assault rifles or submachine guns. The well-documented weapons effect explains that the presence of a weapon increases aggression.

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boredatwork08 said:

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From the linked paper after correctly stating it could not account for deterred shootings (since they didn't happen):

Quote:

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However, the data suggest no association between having an armed officer and deterrence of violence in these cases. An armed officer on the scene was the number one factor associated with increased casualties after the perpetrators' use of assault rifles or submachine guns. The well-documented weapons effect explains that the presence of a weapon increases aggression.

---

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Yes. The increased casualty is the shooter.

I appreciate you taking time to find this. However, like every controversial topic, research papers exist that bolster both sides of the arguement. This was from the DOJ, which is actively attempting to circumvent the second amendment. Yes, I am paranoid.

Wow!

TLIAC said:

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The owner of TNT is paying significantly above the local market rate for level 3 security guards. Therefore, he can be very selective in who he hires. He is bringing in highly trained law enforcement professionals to train these armed guards in de-escalation training, active threat training, active shooter training and much more. They will have extra firearms training offered and they will have to qualify twice a year as opposed to the once-a-year most local officers qualify. They will have training in the education code. He told me that he is going to provide more training than most local officers are able to receive, and he will be totally involved in making sure the guards are properly trained. In addition, since the guards work for TNT, he will be able to remove them if they are not performing as they should.

---

I'm sorry but I just don't buy this. Significantly above market rate? $700k spread across 23 campuses is less than $31,000 per campus. If every campus has one guard, let me just ask, what kind of quality guard is working for wages that low in this day and age? Certainly not someone I'd trust with mine or my child's life. That's basically McDonalds/Walmart wages.

Even with a big private donation something about the funding of all of this does not add up and this is not something I would feel comforted by at all. Either find the money to put an actual professional there or don't bother.

From the KBTX article link that started this thread:
Under the partnership TNT Security Solutions will place its armed security guards at the elementary schools within the district, Harlin said.

"We already have school resource officers through Bryan Police Department at our upper-level grades and they do roam to our elementary schools," Harlin said.

althormoon said:

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TLIAC said:

---

The owner of TNT is paying significantly above the local market rate for level 3 security guards. Therefore, he can be very selective in who he hires. He is bringing in highly trained law enforcement professionals to train these armed guards in de-escalation training, active threat training, active shooter training and much more. They will have extra firearms training offered and they will have to qualify twice a year as opposed to the once-a-year most local officers qualify. They will have training in the education code. He told me that he is going to provide more training than most local officers are able to receive, and he will be totally involved in making sure the guards are properly trained. In addition, since the guards work for TNT, he will be able to remove them if they are not performing as they should.

---

I'm sorry but I just don't buy this. Significantly above market rate? $700k spread across 23 campuses is less than $31,000 per campus. If every campus has one guard, let me just ask, what kind of quality guard is working for wages that low in this day and age? Certainly not someone I'd trust with mine or my child's life. That's basically McDonalds/Walmart wages.

Even with a big private donation something about the funding of all of this does not add up and this is not something I would feel comforted by at all. Either find the money to put an actual professional there or don't bother.

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Considering their contract would likely be for only the times that school is in session, that number comes out closer to 50k/year (if they were to work year round). Or around $24/hr. Which is about on par with what police make.

althormoon said:

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TLIAC said:

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The owner of TNT is paying significantly above the local market rate for level 3 security guards. Therefore, he can be very selective in who he hires. He is bringing in highly trained law enforcement professionals to train these armed guards in de-escalation training, active threat training, active shooter training and much more. They will have extra firearms training offered and they will have to qualify twice a year as opposed to the once-a-year most local officers qualify. They will have training in the education code. He told me that he is going to provide more training than most local officers are able to receive, and he will be totally involved in making sure the guards are properly trained. In addition, since the guards work for TNT, he will be able to remove them if they are not performing as they should.

---

I'm sorry but I just don't buy this. Significantly above market rate? $700k spread across 23 campuses is less than $31,000 per campus. If every campus has one guard, let me just ask, what kind of quality guard is working for wages that low in this day and age? Certainly not someone I'd trust with mine or my child's life. That's basically McDonalds/Walmart wages.

Even with a big private donation something about the funding of all of this does not add up and this is not something I would feel comforted by at all. Either find the money to put an actual professional there or don't bother.

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How do you define a professional in this situation? Would you prefer a police officer instead of a security guard? I get that sentiment entirely but as has been pointed out here that's really not a practical solution given the numbers. These guards will be well trained, enough that the only question will be which way they run when bullets start flying and that is an unknown for everyone until it happens. It's also worth noting that the district has more control over how guards respond to any given situation than they do officers. That might matter in a fight situation though obviously not for an active shooter.

Nothing is perfect but TNT does good work and provides quality training from well qualified owners and instructors. The districts are getting a good product here at half the cost off of duty officers.

Bryan ISD has 14 elementary campuses. That works out to $50k per security officer using the $700k estimate.

The 700k wasn't just for the elementary campuses.