Georgetown ISD officials share update on fully-staffed school marshal program, security upgrades

All Georgetown ISD campuses are fully staffed with a school marshal or school resource officer, district officials said at a Sept. 15 board meeting.

The district launched a school marshal program following the passage of House Bill 3 in 2023. The school safety legislation requires public school districts to have at least one armed security officer at each campus.

“We often say that safety and security is our top priority,” Superintendent Devin Padavil said at the Sept. 15 meeting. “This shows that we’re serious about it.”

What you need to know

GISD has a school marshal at each of its 11 elementary campuses as well as the Future Ready Complex and Georgetown Alternative Program. The role of school marshals is to prevent serious bodily injury or murder on school premises, according to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

The district’s school marshals have military, law enforcement or security experience and were hired in collaboration with the Georgetown Police Department, said Wes Vanicek, GISD chief of construction services and future readiness initiatives.

To become a school marshal, employees must receive two weeks of training from TCOLE, and undergo a psychological evaluation and extensive background check, according to GISD information. School marshals receive training alongside the district’s school resource officers and other first responders in Williamson County, Vanicek said.

The district has seven school resource officers employed by the Georgetown Police Department at its four middle schools and two high school campuses, said Melinda Brasher, executive director for communications and community engagement.

The background

Texas school districts have been required to staff an armed security guard on each campus since Sept. 1, 2023, under HB 3. The bill's author, Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, said HB 3's armed officer requirement aims to increase school security and “reduce confusion in the midst of a crisis,” such as an active shooter situation.

HB 3 defines an armed security officer as a police officer that is employed by a district police department or contracted through a local law enforcement agency.

Districts may claim a good cause exception if they cannot comply with this requirement due to funding issues or a lack of personnel, according to the bill. The exception allows districts to hire school marshals or school district employees with a license to carry, known as school guardians.