Each week, “Answer Key” aims to help families by responding to an important question about education and schools in Greater Houston. If you have a question for us to answer, please email us at education@houstonlanding.org or fill out the form at the end of this article.
This week’s question:
There are more police in Texas schools than ever. How are they trained and supervised?
As campus safety remains top-of-mind for many students and families, campus police officers have become an increasingly visible presence.
Under a state law passed in 2023, all Texas school campuses must have at least one armed officer on campus during regular school hours, though school leaders have been given time to hire new security staff.
The addition of police officers on campus leaves many questions about who’s patrolling schools, how they’re trained and who holds them accountable. Here’s what to know about them.
Are school police officers similar to law enforcement officers patrolling cities, counties and other municipalities?
For the most part, yes. Nearly all of the largest school districts in Greater Houston have their own police departments to oversee campus safety. A school district’s board of trustees must approve the creation of a police department and apply for approval to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which regulates police departments and officers across the state.
Officers working in those departments must undergo similar training and certification through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement as non-school officers.
Some districts, such as Clear Creek and Pearland ISDs, contract with local law enforcement agencies to provide police officers to schools.
How are school district police officers trained and certified?
To become a school police officer, applicants must meet several minimum standards, such as being a U.S. citizen, possessing a high school degree or GED, passing a physical exam and undergoing a psychological screening.
From there, officers undergo at least 736 hours of basic training, which typically takes multiple months to complete. The courses cover numerous parts of being a police officer, ranging from professionalism standards to Constitutional rights to making an arrest.
Campus police officers also must complete an active shooter response training. The two-day training includes topics such as child development and psychology, de-escalation techniques, and mental and behavioral health needs of children with disabilities or special needs.
School officers also must complete a licensing course and pass a state exam.
Are police officers the only ones who can carry a gun on campus?
No. School districts can also hire school marshals, who are non-licensed security staff assigned to protect the campus.
School marshals must undergo 80 hours of training that covers campus security, use of force, responding to an active shooter and proper use of a firearm. They also must be licensed to carry a firearm, undergo a psychological examination and complete a 16-hour renewal course every two years, among other requirements.
School marshals can only act based on regulations set by school boards.
What can school officers do while on campus?
School police officers can arrest people, make traffic stops and otherwise enforce law.
The region’s largest school districts — including Houston, Aldine and Pasadena ISDs — typically report about 100 to 300 arrests per year. Most of those arrested are juveniles, while the most common crime resulting in an arrest is simple assault. People arrested by campus police are prosecuted through the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
Under state law, police officers cannot be assigned to handle student discipline, such as suspending kids, or take on responsibilities outside of law enforcement.
Who holds school officers accountable?
For districts with their own police departments, the local school board and the district’s administrators oversee the police officers. They are responsible for hiring, disciplining and firing officers.
In cases of severe misconduct, school officers can be referred to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement for taking away an officer’s license. Local and federal prosecutors also can pursue criminal charges against school officers.
In districts that contract with nearby law enforcement agencies to provide on-campus officers, the police department manages the officer. School districts, however, can set rules and requirements for officers in their contracts with local law enforcement agencies.
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