(Seguin) — The Seguin ISD has taken action to comply with a new state law in hopes of making local schools safer. Among those options now avaible is the Guardian Program, which will allow certified teachers and/or other district employees to carry guns for added protection during school hours.
Sean Hoffmann, the chief communications officer for the Seguin ISD says this being considered because the district does not currently have enough armed officers at each of their campuses to comply with the unfunded new state mandate.
“Under this new house bill, this new approved law, by Sept. 1, we have to have somebody on each school campus,” said Hoffmann.
Hoffmann says the Guardian program is a direct response to the district needing to adhere to this new mandate for armed personnel on all campuses. Without receiving any additional dollars from the state, this is the least expensive way to comply with the new law.
“That measure allowed us because we can’t hire and don’t have available law enforcement officers to be on campus to meet the measure of that House Bill, we are able to do an alternative program that will allow us to do a Guardian Program or a Marshal Program in those schools. That can essentially be an employee who is on campus who goes to the proper training and protocols and will be allowed to carry a handgun in the school in order to meet and fulfill the spirit of that new law,” said Hoffmann.
Both Seguin ISD Superintendent Matthew Gutierrez and Seguin Police Chief Jason Brady recently discussed the challenges the district faced in finding an armed officer for all 13 Seguin ISD campuses. Chief Brady says the law presents a challenge for law enforcement and school districts alike.
Hoffmann says upon implementing a Guardian Program, the district will provide the proper messaging at each of its schools as well as to each of its families. The new law officially started on Friday, September 1.