Under the direction of Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas School Safety Center (TSSC) has conducted undercover audits in 7,200 schools statewide to assess the effectiveness of the new safety measures.

On June 2, 2022 Governor Abbott charged the Commissioner of Education with rule development to ensure existing school facilities are held to heightened safety standard, and to determine costs of more secure facilities in schools.

“I don’t think there’s anything we do that’s as important as safety and security,” Superintendent Steve VanMatre said to kick off a public meeting Monday night.

A school safety bill awaiting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature falls far short of paying for the measures it would require schools to implement, officials at several Waco-area districts said.

Texas lawmakers’ response to the state’s deadliest school shooting is a sweeping piece of legislation that mandates armed personnel on every campus.

Schools could soon get a safety infrastructure funding boost after the Senate on Sunday passed a bill that would provide districts $15,000 per campus for security upgrades and tighten auditing requirements.

This week marks the 1 year anniversary of the tragic Uvalde, Texas shooting, where 19 brave children and 2 teachers lost their lives. While incredibly rare, the growing frequency of school shootings like this across the United States has caused great concern among parents, educators, and policy-makers. Although nobody can completely predict or prevent a violent attack, there are various measures that K-12 schools can take to keep their students and staff as safe as possible.

The Texas House on Tuesday gave final approval to legislation that is calling for significant investments to beef up schools’ safety, including hiring at least one armed security officer at every campus, providing incentives for school employees to get certified to carry a weapon and installing silent panic alert buttons in every classroom.