The New Braunfels ISD board of trustees will contract with the New Braunfels Police Department to implement a school resource officer at each of its four secondary campuses beginning in the 2018-19 school year.
“All schools need to have some form of security, and we are excited to work with NBISD for starting this new chapter of security for their schools,” NBPD Communications Coordinator David Ferguson said.
The school board's unanimous decision to introduce campus SROs was made during an executive session at its regular meeting Monday night. Ferguson said the officers will be present on campus throughout the school day to respond to any criminal or safety-related issues.
Currently, NBPD has 123 officers. Ferguson said the SROs will be hired from within the department and begin a training program in June.
According to Rebecca Villarreal, NBISD director of communications, 75 percent of funding for the positions will come from the school district's general fund budget, with NBPD picking up the remaining 25 percent of the cost.
The decision to add SROs to NBISD follows five committee meetings where 15 members evaluated school security options.
NBISD Vice President Wes Clark served on the security committee and presented the group’s recommendations to the school board at Monday night's meeting. Some of the items—totaling $3.1 million—could receive funding from
a bond package that will be voted on in November. They include:
- Proximity readers
- Alarms on all exterior doors
- Indoor and outdoor security cameras at every campus ($2 million estimated cost)
- Enhanced security for front reception areas at seven campuses ($250,000 estimated cost)
- Ballistic glass film ($850,000 estimated cost)
- Electric door locks ($52,500 estimated cost)
- Expansion of panic button systems in classrooms
If approved, additional recommendations could be funded by the NBISD general fund budget. They include:
- Metal detecting wands for secondary campuses ($230 per scanner)
- Third-party social media monitoring
- Student-issued ID badges
- A full-time position for school safety and facility management
“I know at the end of the day it’s a lot of money, but it’s worth it to make sure we’re safe and secure,” Clark said.
Additionally, the committee made districtwide recommendations that included more active-shooter and lockdown drills during the school year, tourniquet kits and safety audits by outside consultants and watchdog programs.
Villarreal said the district's security discussion is ongoing, and measures will be finalized with the adoption of the annual budget on June 25.
Comal ISD, the other school district that serves New Braunfels, currently has eight SROs at six of its secondary campuses that are filled through a partnership with the Comal County Sheriff's Office. Steve Stanford, executive director of communications and governmental relations for CISD, said both of the district's new middle schools that will open next school year will have an SRO on-site.
In addition, CISD will install controlled access systems at the front offices of all campuses this summer, where visitors have to be buzzed in before entering.
"(Campus security) is something that's very important to us," Stanford said. "It's something we think about on a daily basis, and we continually look at ways we can build upon the security measures we have in place."
