Hays CISD approves HB 3 exemption, pledges $1.9 million for campus security

BUDA — At its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 28, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees approved an application for an exception to House Bill 3 (H.B. 3) based on staffing criteria.

According to the Texas School Safety Center, Section 10 of H.B. 3 states, “The board of trustees of each school district shall determine the appropriate number of armed security officers for each district campus. The board must ensure that at least one armed security officer is present during regular school hours at each district campus. The security officer must be a school district police officer, a school resource officer (SRO) or a commissioned peace officer employed as security personnel under Texas Education Code 37.081.”

During the meeting, the board heard from Hays CISD Chief Safety & Security Officer Jeri Skrocki about a meeting between the district and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office regarding the potential for HCSO to staff each campus with an armed guard.

“What we’ve learned from the sheriff’s office during that meeting is that they absolutely support Hays CISD in the quest for having officers at each of our schools,” Skrocki explained. “However, they were very realistic in looking at the situation that they are experiencing right now — and really across the state and across the nation — with the officer shortage.”

Due to this shortage, and a concern about the district's ability to comply with H.B. 3, Skrocki recommended the district apply for an exception based on the criteria laid out in the bill.

Following the presentation, trustees took time to acknowledge the effort of the board to prioritize the safety of all students and staff in the district.

“It’s worth considering that, while these mandated armed officers are a step towards making our schools safer, it may not fully address the complexity of school shootings that it is intended to do,” said trustee Esperanza Orosco. “Incorporating stronger gun laws, facilitating access to mental health resources and implementing measures thoughtfully over time would contribute to a more well-rounded approach to ensuring school safety.

“I think there are a lot of unintended consequences with this bill,” Orosco continued. “So, thank you for bringing this to us. I know we will move forward together to do what is best for our students.”

Trustee Vanessa Petrea echoed Orosco’s sentiments, directing further compliments to Skrocki, “I understand the intent and, maybe, the why behind this. But I am glad you’re here. I feel safer going to sleep every night knowing that you’re in the position that you’re in and the efforts that you’ve made to make sure that we are a safer district. So, thank you," she said.

Trustee Raul Vela Jr. asked Skrocki to explain what it takes to become an SRO.

She explained that an SRO is a commissioned peace officer in the state of Texas, but they have the extra training regarding school-based activities.

“When you deal with having a marshal program or a guardian program, or the other option — of course — is private security,” Skrocki said, “there comes pros and cons with each of those, but the reality is none of them will have the training like a school resource officer, like a Texas peace officer will have … And so, it’s imperative, in my opinion, to have the best quality person in that school to handle the worst day of anyone’s life if we were put in that situation.”

Following the 7-0 vote to approve the motion for the exception, Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright spoke of future plans.

“Because of our local law enforcement partners, we believe the way to go is to add an SRO to every single campus,” Dr. Wright said. “Mrs. Skrocki and I met with Sheriff [Gary] Cutler and his team last week and they have committed to making that happen. They’re going to work with the commissioners and we’re going to staff up our elementary campuses as quickly as we possibly can … We know it may take a while, but we’re committed to getting trained experts.”

Dr. Wright went on to explain that the state granted $0.28 per student, plus $15,000 per campus, to help defray the cost of the required armed security. The grant funds amount to approximately $390,000.

“Because we know we need to do the right thing, we’re committed to spending the money. So, in order for us to get completely staffed with SROs, we are pledging another $1.9 million to fund SROs at each one of our campuses,” Dr. Wright said. “But I want to say this and put it on the record: improperly trained individuals pose a greater problem than having patience and allowing our current system to work for us.”

Moving forward, Skrocki and the district security team will put together a plan to staff all schools, which Dr. Wright hopes will be back in front of the board in September.

The board of trustees is slated to meet next at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18.