The district is establishing a police department as it works to meet the requirements of House Bill 3. The state law has required school districts to have at least one armed security guard at every campus since Sept. 1, 2023.
What you need to know
From late November to early December, LISD will hold three meetings across the district to provide community members an update on the development of its new police department.
The following meetings will take place from 6-7:30 p.m.:
- Nov. 18 at Danielson Middle School, 1061 Collaborative Way, Leander
- Nov. 20 at Vandegrift High School, 9500 McNeil Drive, Austin
- Dec. 10 at the LISD Support Services Building, 1900 Cougar Country Drive, Cedar Park
The meetings will feature a presentation from Shā Rogers, the district’s executive director of safety and security, who will serve as chief of police once the department is licensed. Additional speakers will include district officials working in emergency, student support, health and counseling services.
These events are intended to give community members a platform to share their ideas about the formation of LISD's police department, including its vision and mission, according to district information. Attendees will be able to share their thoughts through a live, open ThoughtExchange survey.
The backstory
Following the passage of HB 3, LISD claimed a good cause exception to the law’s officer requirements due to a lack of personnel and funding, district officials said.
In November 2023, the board of trustees approved launching a police department along with funding for its initial phase. At that time, district officials told Community Impact they hoped to have officers on campus by August.
In August, Rogers said the district was working to submit its application to create the police department with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement—after which it expects to receive approval in 30-45 days, Rogers said.
Rogers said she hoped to have officers and school marshals on campus sometime between January and next school year; however, a definite time frame was yet to be established.
The district expects to spend $1.85 million on the department for fiscal year 2025-26, Chief Financial Officer Pete Pape said at an Oct. 10 meeting.
What’s next
The district plans to host a virtual meeting to follow up on the police department’s development in January.
During this meeting, LISD hopes to share more information on the department’s licensing process through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and the district’s next steps, according to district information.
