Round Rock ISD renews good-cause exemption for armed officer mandate

During a Sept. 10 meeting, Round Rock ISD officials extended the district's good-cause exemption from House Bill 3, a legislative mandate requiring armed guards at all public schools in the state, for at least one more year.

What's new

District counsel Cindy Hill said recent changes effective Sept. 1 require that school districts reevaluate this exemption on a yearly basis.

Hill said the district is opting to extend the measure, as it still can't afford to staff to the level required by HB 3.

"At this time, we need to look at extending our good-cause exception for at least another year to allow us to not only get a handle on the financial conditions of the district as well as identify other sources of officers," Hill said.

The board approved the measure unanimously.

Diving deeper

Per the district, staffing each of its 56 schools with an armed officer would require hiring 27 additional full-time employees and cost $4 million, at a time when the district is running a deficit budget.

When the board first approved its good-cause exemption, the goal was to hire a total of 54 officers by the 2025-26 school year. However, the district has struggled to staff to that level, according to district documents.