In Texas, 172 school districts allow teachers, staff to carry guns in schools

There are 172 school districts in Texas that allow staff and/or board members to carry firearms on school premises, according to a statewide review of board policies by the Texas Association of School Boards.

The Caller-Times requested data on school board policies related to arming staff in the wake of the recent school shooting that killed 17 in Parkland, Florida.

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Those 172 school districts represent about 17 percent of the 1,023 independent school districts in Texas, according to the Texas Education Agency. About 15 percent of all ISDs have a police department and about 24 percent employ school resource officers, according to the association's analysis.

The names of the school districts were not provided to the Caller-Times.

School premises are gun-free zones, according to state and federal laws. But the laws also allow for exceptions to the general rule.

Texas school districts can choose between two plans — the Guardian Plan and the School Marshal Plan — to authorize employees to carry a firearm on school property. Debate around arming teachers and staff has surged in response to the recent school shootings.

Dax Gonzalez with the association said the it is aware of only one district in Texas that established a policy to implement the School Marshal Plan.

Agua Dulce ISD opted for the Guardian Plan because it's a bit more flexible, Superintendent Wayne Kelly has said. Trustees approved the implementation of the Agua Dulce School Guardian Program on Oct. 24, 2016.

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Teachers and staff had to undergo a mental health evaluation and 80 hours of training by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to carry a weapon at district campuses, Kelly said, adding each petition to carry also has to be approved by the school board.

The Aransas Pass ISD board also is weighing the option of adopting a modified version of the Guardian Plan after Aransas Pass Chief of Police Eric Blanchard proposed it to trustees Wednesday.

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Blanchard said district employees who would be Guardians should be nominated by staff, undergo a mental health evaluation, be licensed to carry a firearm and show proficiency in using a firearm by going through the police department's campus carry program.

Nancy Vera, president of the American Federation of Teacher's Corpus Christi chapter, led a news conference Thursday on the nationwide debate of arming teachers.

Peace officers should be the only district employees allowed to carry a firearm in gun-free zones, Vera said, adding a district's money is better spent on supplies and salaries instead of firearms training and mental health evaluations for teachers to carry weapons.

The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers also have issued statements arguing against arming teachers.

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The news conference came in response to President Donald Trump's suggestion that arming 20 percent of teachers would bring an end to school shootings. The argument clashes with a teacher-driven movement prompted by last week's school shooting in Florida.

The #ArmMeWith effort is a response to the suggestion that teachers carrying guns would prevent further mass shootings.

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"Arm me with the resources and funding needed to help students experiencing mental health issues, not guns," the #ArmMeWith movement urges.

Vera echoed that sentiment at Thursday's event.

"It is shameful that in the state of Texas with a rainy (day) fund of billions, we cannot fully fund our teachers to be ready with supplies ... to be able to bring social workers and counselors into the classroom because of this lack of funding," Vera said.

Retired Corpus Christi ISD kindergarten teacher and CCAFT member Joan Salazar argues that even if they're trained to use a gun, teachers should not be armed around kids because "so many things can go wrong."

Salazar, who attended Thursday's news conference, can't imagine having to escort children to the playground for recess with a gun on her.

"I can only imagine carrying a gun in my purse to the playground when we're having recess," she said. "How easy it would be for someone to get a hold of that gun. It's too dangerous. Too many things can go wrong."