U.S.A. — In Groesbeck, Texas (about a third of the way between Dallas and Houston), the Independent School District (ISD) has had a school guardian program in place for nearly a year. On July 17, 2023, the Groesbeck ISD issued a press release showing they had placed signs announcing the program. The Guardian program is a popular Texas program to enable local schools to have various members of their staff trained and armed, in order to respond to deadly threats in the school before police can arrive on the scene. The program is much more efficient than having School Resource Officers (certified police officers) assigned to the school. One SRO costs about $100,000 per year. A Guardian costs about $1,000 a year. A school district can afford 100 Guardians for the cost of one SRO. The Groesbeck School Superintendent, Anthony Figueroa, has embraced the program. From the Groesbeck Independent School District press release:
Two months ago, I sent my monthly superintendent newsletter informing parents of our Guardian Program and new signage (see picture below). Being installed this week, signs will be posted on our campuses which state, “ATTENTION: GISD STAFF ARE ARMED AND TRAINED TO PROTECT OUR STUDENTS.”12”X12” signs will be attached to all building entrances, and larger 3’X3’ signs will be displayed at all parking/drive way entrances.
Last year the Groesbeck ISD school board watched the devastation of schools across the country, being forced to prepare for the unthinkable –the potential of a school shooting, and considered appropriate policies. The Board updated local policy, authorizing a School Safety “Guardian” Program (TX Govt. Code 411.1901). Its purpose is to provide students and faculties an armed self-defense option prior to the arrival of Law Enforcement in the event of an active shooter or “active killer” on campus.
The Guardians are ISD staff members who have passed strict requirements and training. In order to protect them from becoming targets of an intruder, their names are confidential and are not to be released. I ask that names not be guessed at nor rumors passed in an attempt to protect these individuals.
Although the program has been in place for almost a year, the Board of Trustees approved for the district to make the program more visible. By providing the community this information and by placing signs up across the campuses, we are taking additional steps so that people know we are NOT an “easy target”.
Superintendent of Schools Anthony Figueroa noted the last three school districts in which he was involved were all participants in the Guardian program. This says something about Texas and, perhaps, about Anthony Figueroa.
From the Groesbeckjournal.com:
“I am proud to have been part of a Guardian program in my last three districts and I am proud that GISD had this program when I arrived,” said Figueroa. “My responsibility is to ensure we properly train our Guardians and that we properly communicate this program to our community.”
As of October 2022, about 450 out of 1022 school districts in Texas were involved in the Guardian program. As of this writing, no school district involved in the Guardian program has been the subject of a mass killing in school.
Placing the signs prominently on the doors and entrances to the campuses is a proactive step to stop mass killers from targeting schools. One of the chief drivers of these killers is the desire for fame, achieved by a high body count. Unknown armed protectors make planning to achieve a high body count difficult. Most of the killing in these events occurs in the first few minutes. Seconds of response time means lives. Having armed responders inside the situation as it occurs is the fastest way to stop the killers and save lives.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
If this were embraced by every school district in the nation the cowards would stop targeting school children. They don’t target gun shops or police stations for a reason……
attempted mass killer sounds so lame ….bet they go to a gun free state and get a bunch….
YOU are your own First Responder. LEOs are the First Mess Cleaner-Uppers. LEOs draw chalk outlines, call the ME and the meat wagon, write reports, and may catch the perps…..if the donuts aren’t done yet. OH, and many times now, they stand around while the perp does the deed. When do We The Little Peeps get First Responder discounts???? Asking for a true First Responder friend.
This is possibly the best thing to happen in schools in a long time. I believe that every teacher/staff member should be armed and training would also help. This will obviously put a major “maybe I better look someplace else to do my evil ideas” in the mind of such a person. The pretend to be a man who shot up 3 kids and 3 staff at a Christian school had passed up several other schools because of visible security on site. Had those two teachers in Uvalde Texas been armed, things might have turned out very differently. The fact… Read more »
I’m not sure about the “… should be armed …”.
Yes, it should be allowed if the teacher wants to.
But, not everyone, due to mental reservations, beliefs, or physical health, SHOULD be armed.
Make it an option, not a requirement.
The rest of your post is spot on.
Guardians are all volunteers who choose to accept the responsibility to meet the training requirements to participate in the program. Not all teachers or staff are Guardians as nobody is forced into participating. Another option is to have a cadre of armed and trained geezers in a phone tree created by an agreement between the school district, the local sheriff and the local PD who can come on a moment’s notice to guard and secure every door in all of the schools. These old people are available immediately, they’re not delayed from responding because they are at work, and they… Read more »
Was in a discussion about this last weekend.
It seems that the Cleveland, TX school district (hour northeast of Houston) has selected the G43X for it’s principles and teachers.
A Glock 43x, although very concealable, would not be my first choice but it’s better than nothing. Depending on the size of the school, an AR-15 or two or ten would be a good idea. They are accurate, powerful enough, carry plenty of ammo, easy to operate and, with varmint ammo, they are less likely to over penetrate so collateral is minimized.
Arm up and carry on
DB you can’t be serious. An AR for teachers to have in the classroom??? LOL, you need to think that through. One of the worst ideas I’ve heard.
Look at what teachers carry in Israel. It has been a long, long time since terrorists have targeted their schools.
Maybe he could have suggested a few M-240s (and M-249s for the ‘smaller statured’ staff). Lets build a bunker out front and have some pill boxes manned in the hallways.
Sorry to disagree Ope, but I think he was serious. Probably never had to carry a rifle for a living and doesn’t understand what a PIA it is when trying to do something else, or how easily relieved of the weapon a teacher could be by an agressive student.
Do you mean an AR in every classroom? There are entire countries that do exactly that. The actual issue winds up being keeping them secure yet rapidly accessible around children. Is that what you are worried about? We use/used secure military weapons holders that are locked and permently fixed to a wall or a concrete floor. I would defiantly have several in a secured area that someone or several people could get to if there was trouble. An AR is much easier to deploy and shoot accurately than a hand gun. Anyone who thinks that is not so doesn’t know… Read more »
Sounds good to me.
HLB
I would only send my kid to a school displaying an “armed staff” sign now.
so, 44% of school districts in Texas care about protecting the children that attend school there, EXCELLENT!.
if only more cared about protecting children instead of indoctrinating them with leftist/prog ideology.
in many other states the FASTER program is equivalent.
wonder if there is some violence driven data from these schools v. uncaring school.
i have contacted my local school board, sent them info on the FASTER program, (crickets). they will not even acknowledge my emails. thankfully my children are grown and grandchildren not in school yet.
we need this in florida, the police here are almost useless…pointing and running away like parkland is not what we should expect but cowards is what we have
Except that the sorry jury acquitted him of being a coward!
Love it.
Of the 254 counties here in Texas, around 70% of them allow teachers, administrators and maintenance staff to carry guns. Some advertise that fact quite boldly, others don’t at all. It’s usually the big city independent school districts at ban guns, Uvalde seems to be exception, but most rural ISD’s support armed staff along SRO’s (school resource officers)
This is only one among the many who have embraced this and some are in addition to campus resource officers .
I applaud this action, but it may invite those sickos that seek “death by cop”…..now a “death by Guardian” opportunity.