Keller ISD board members approved a contract renewal with the city of Fort Worth to provide 12 school resource officers for the 2024-25 school year during their Oct. 24 meeting. Board members also received an update on armed staff signs that will be installed on all campuses.

In a nutshell

According to district documents, the 12 Fort Worth SROs are assigned at the following campuses:
  • 2 at Central High School
  • 2 at Timber Creek High School
  • 2 at Fossil Ridge High School
  • 1 at Hillwood Middle School
  • 1 at Trinity Springs Middle School
  • 1 at Timberview Middle School
  • 1 at Fossil Hill Middle School
  • 1 at Vista Ridge Middle School
  • 1 mobile SRO
The total cost to the district will be $1.4 million for the 2024-25 school year, which represents an $88,932.24 increase from the previous school year.

Chief Communications Officer Bryce Nieman said via email the district currently employs 18 SROs—12 from Fort Worth, four from Keller, and one each from Southlake and Colleyville. In addition, Nieman said there are 17 district-employed campus security specialists and four mobile response officers.

Quote of note


“Our SROs are an invaluable resource for not only handling police-related incidents on campuses, but they will meet with parents and students when needed at the school or at the student’s home, providing guidance when possible,” Director of District Safety Michael Hoffman said.

Diving in deeper

Nieman said district officials are in the process of hiring 27 district-employed armed security officers.

“We have hired 16 so far, six of which have completed their required training to be armed on campus,” Nieman said.


In December 2022, Keller ISD trustees approved the “guardian program” that allows teachers and other staff members to carry guns on school campuses.

District officials are also installing armed staff signage at all district campuses. Hoffman said 16 signs have been manufactured, and he anticipates those to be installed by the end of December. He said signs at remaining campuses will be installed throughout the spring semester.

Some context

Having an armed security presence is a requirement of House Bill 3, which went into effect Sept. 1, 2023, and mandates that each school district campus have at least one armed security officer present during regular school hours. Under the bill, a security officer is defined as:
  • A school district police officer
  • A school resource officer
  • A commissioned peace officer employed as security personnel under Texas Education Code 37.081
  • A school marshal
HB 3 states a security officer may also be a school district employee who has completed school safety training provided by a qualified handgun instructor certified in school safety and carries a handgun on their person on school premises in accordance with written regulations or written authorization of the district.