Frisco ISD will be placing an armed officer at each of its elementary school campuses over the next two school years.

Through the program, the district will hire 49 marshals with four lead marshals, said Jon Bodie, FISD’s director of emergency management during a presentation at the board’s May 12 meeting. The district’s board of trustees approved the program during the meeting.

“It will be a welcome addition to our campuses,” Bodie said.

The overview

The district will have a single role marshal program opposed to a dual role program. Bodie explained that dual role marshals perform their officer duties while also a teacher, coach or administrator on a campus.

Marshals will be on campus solely for armed protection and not to stop fights or direct traffic, he said. The officers may help with other safety tasks on a campus such as daily door checks.

“These personnel can provide an additional layer of those examinations... as they go through the day,” Bodie said.

Requirements for marshal officers include:

• Hold a Texas License to Carry
• Complete an 80 hour marshal course at a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement academy
• Pass an L-3 psychological evaluation and be recertified every two years
• Complete 16 hours of marshal recertification every two years

Peace officer experience will be required with a preference for fully retired police officers.

The school marshal program is licensed and regulated through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which licenses and regulates all police officers in the state, according to the district.

Funding for the program is accounted for in the district’s 2025-26 budget development. The district expects the program will cost $2.5 million in its first year which would cover hiring 25 marshals and four leads as well as start-up costs and supplies.

Another 24 marshal positions will be added in the 2026-27 budget which is expected to cost $1.6 million, said Kimberly Smith, FISD’s chief finance and strategy officer.

How we got here

House Bill 3 mandates all schools within a district must have an armed security officer present during regular school hours.

Per the bill, a school security officer could be a:

• School district law enforcement officer
• School resource officer, or SRO
• Law enforcement officer commissioned to work for the district

The law allows districts to claim a good cause exception from the requirement if a district lacks funding or availability of qualified personnel. FISD claimed an exemption in August 2023 as there were not enough available police officers to be compliant with the law.