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San Marcos to hire armed civilians for elementary schools


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San Marcos school leaders have signed off on hiring armed marshals to protect students in the district’s eight elementary schools.

The plan, approved this week by the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District’s board, calls for hiring a school marshal to serve as a safety officer at each elementary school campus in the district. The marshals’ responsibilities would include patrolling the campuses, performing safety checks and audits, and conducting safety training drills. 

The board's decision comes in the wake of the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that killed 19 students and two teachers.

A school marshal “would in essence take the place of the hired off-duty officers who presently reside on campuses. They will not wear uniforms but they will carry a concealed handgun and be a (school district) employee,” according to school board documents. “A marshal's primary role is to engage and protect during an active attack.”

 

To be hired as marshals, applicants would be required to have certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. The marshals will also take part in regular training through the San Marcos Police Department, according to district officials and San Marcos police Chief Stan Standridge, who spoke during the Monday school board meeting.


Standridge said 74 Texas school districts are operating marshal programs, with about 300 marshals currently in place. There are about 1,200 school districts in the state. 

The plan calls for each school marshal to carry a concealed handgun and for their identity to be confidential, according to school board documents. 

The board members voted 6-1 to have the district pursue a three-year pilot program using school marshals, but they did not set a date for the program to begin. The district said it expects to spend more than $500,000 per year on the program over the three years. 

In a presentation to board members, Doug Wozniak, director of school safety for the San Marcos CISD, said the plan does not call for arming teachers or other district employees. 

San Marcos school board members said they prefer the school marshal program over the idea of arming teachers or adding fencing around campuses or metal detectors at school entrances — something board member Brian Shanks compared to “minimum security prisons.”

“I think that’s a worse experience for our kids,” Shanks said. 

 

Bonnie Bevers, youth pastor at San Marcos United Methodist Church and a volunteer for the school district, was among those opposed to having a marshal on campuses whose identity would not be provided to students and parents. 

“As a family and youth pastor, I spend my days working with students in San Marcos. … I cannot count the number of conversations we have had about their fears of guns on their school campuses,” Bevers said. “Having armed law enforcement officers on the school campuses adds a sense of safety and security to their minds. They can see who is there to protect them. … In arming school district employees and asking them to remain anonymous and to carry a concealed weapon, we are adding to the anxiety of our students.”

Standridge, the San Marcos police chief, said he agreed the best solution would be to have more uniformed school resource officers on the district’s campuses. He said the city doesn’t have the resources to make that happen, mainly due to swift population growth in San Marcos that has contributed to an increase in violent crime. 

If school officials asked for more school resource officers, “even if I had the additional officers, we would not assign them to campuses," Standridge said. “Why? Because we need them in the field responding to 911 to mitigate this remarkable increase in violent crime.”

The San Marcos school district serves about 8,000 students and has an annual budget of nearly $100 million. 


 

 

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Did I miss in the article where it says they're hiring civilians? Because it clearly states to be a "marshal" you have to be a licensed peace officer in the state of Texas.

Also, whoever hired Stan Standridge as San Marcos police chief needs to be tarred and feathered. He's not crooked like Art, but he loves himself some Stan and he's incompetent as fuck. You gotta be a special kind of jackass to be run out of Abilene.

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34 minutes ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Did I miss in the article where it says they're hiring civilians? Because it clearly states to be a "marshal" you have to be a licensed peace officer in the state of Texas.

Also, whoever hired Stan Standridge as San Marcos police chief needs to be tarred and feathered. He's not crooked like Art, but he loves himself some Stan and he's incompetent as fuck. You gotta be a special kind of jackass to be run out of Abilene.

 

These "marshals" will be teachers or administrators or others already employed by the district who volunteer for the program, and if accepted, will receive training. This training is not equivalent to the training licensed police officers receive.

No one will know, other than administration, who these "marshals" are. In theory anyway. They are expected to keep the gun on them at all times, not locked in a desk or a closet or a safe or whatever.

These marshals can replace or be in addition to any other security (SROs, off duty cops, whatever) the district already uses.

This is something that the TEA has come up with (god help us), and districts can implement if they so desire.

I know all this because my daughter's district is thinking about implementing this program, and they had a community presentation about it. The above is what I remember from the presentation.

 

 

 

now, over/under on the number of days until a school marshal has an accidental discharge, or leaves the gun unsecured? Anybody?

 

 

edit: after careful perusal of the OP, it seems there are some differences in what my district is considering and what San Marcos is implementing. The marshal or marshals in my district would most likely be teachers or administrators (again, god help us).

 

edit again:

 

The marshals’ responsibilities would include patrolling the campuses, performing safety checks and audits, and conducting safety training drills...

The plan calls for each school marshal to carry a concealed handgun and for their identity to be confidential, according to school board documents. 

 

Not sure how they would remain anonymous if they are conducting safety drills and performing audits.

 

 

Edited by High Plains Drifter
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6 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

These "marshals" will be teachers or administrators or others already employed by the district who volunteer for the program, and if accepted, will receive training. This training is not equivalent to the training licensed police officers receive.

No one will know, other than administration, who these "marshals" are. In theory anyway. They are expected to keep the gun on them at all times, not locked in a desk or a closet or a safe or whatever.

These marshals can replace or be in addition to any other security (SROs, off duty cops, whatever) the district already uses.

This is something that the TEA has come up with (god help us), and districts can implement if they so desire.

I know all this because my daughter's district is thinking about implementing this program, and they had a community presentation about it. The above is what I remember from the presentation.

 

 

 

now, over/under on the number of days until a school marshal has an accidental discharge, or leaves the gun unsecured? Anybody?

 

 

edit: after careful perusal of the OP, it seems there are some differences in what my district is considering and what San Marcos is implementing. The marshal or marshals in my district would most likely be teachers or administrators (again, god help us).

 

 

 

I would pull my kids out of that shit, and if there are no other options, move.  People have lost their fucking minds.  What could go wrong with introducing a loaded weapon into an environment full of mentally underdeveloped maniacs pumped full of stupid hormones?

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35 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

I would pull my kids out of that shit, and if there are no other options, move.  People have lost their fucking minds.  What could go wrong with introducing a loaded weapon into an environment full of mentally underdeveloped maniacs pumped full of stupid hormones?

 

I agree with your sentiments, but small town so we don't have any other options other than a very small christian private school or home schooling. And we aren't moving, so...

 

 

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59 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

These "marshals" will be teachers or administrators or others already employed by the district who volunteer for the program, and if accepted, will receive training. This training is not equivalent to the training licensed police officers receive.

No one will know, other than administration, who these "marshals" are. In theory anyway. They are expected to keep the gun on them at all times, not locked in a desk or a closet or a safe or whatever.

These marshals can replace or be in addition to any other security (SROs, off duty cops, whatever) the district already uses.

This is something that the TEA has come up with (god help us), and districts can implement if they so desire.

I know all this because my daughter's district is thinking about implementing this program, and they had a community presentation about it. The above is what I remember from the presentation.

 

 

 

now, over/under on the number of days until a school marshal has an accidental discharge, or leaves the gun unsecured? Anybody?

 

 

edit: after careful perusal of the OP, it seems there are some differences in what my district is considering and what San Marcos is implementing. The marshal or marshals in my district would most likely be teachers or administrators (again, god help us).

 

edit again:

 

The marshals’ responsibilities would include patrolling the campuses, performing safety checks and audits, and conducting safety training drills...

The plan calls for each school marshal to carry a concealed handgun and for their identity to be confidential, according to school board documents. 

 

Not sure how they would remain anonymous if they are conducting safety drills and performing audits.

 

 

The article specified that these marshals would be hired in and would have to be TCLEOS certified.  How many teachers who are already there hold TCLEOS certification in addition to their teaching certification?  And if these marshals are patrolling the campuses, how are they going to teach classes, or remain unidentified?  The whole thing seems half baked to me.

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8 minutes ago, Scheiss Meister said:

The article specified that these marshals would be hired in and would have to be TCLEOS certified.  How many teachers who are already there hold TCLEOS certification in addition to their teaching certification?  And if these marshals are patrolling the campuses, how are they going to teach classes, or remain unidentified?  The whole thing seems half baked to me.

Welcome to SMCISD. 

Can pay to send a dance squad to Disney for shits and giggles, but not for one kid's teacher to accompany her to International Science Fair. 

As I said, I know a lot of teachers. They live in SM. Most have quit the ISD and moved to other locations. 

And the answer is of course more Football coaches. Yeah, no one will notice that Glock in their tight ass shorts. 

Edited by InkaUtexas
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7 minutes ago, Scheiss Meister said:

The article specified that these marshals would be hired in and would have to be TCLEOS certified.  How many teachers who are already there hold TCLEOS certification in addition to their teaching certification?  And if these marshals are patrolling the campuses, how are they going to teach classes, or remain unidentified?  The whole thing seems half baked to me.

 

I don't know, I'm pretty sure the presentation I attended said they would be districts employees already employed by the district, and would receive training. Not full on cop training, but gun safety and use training.

Different districts may implement this differently, idk.

 

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2 hours ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Did I miss in the article where it says they're hiring civilians? Because it clearly states to be a "marshal" you have to be a licensed peace officer in the state of Texas.
 

No, it says to be marshal you have to have a certificate. It doesn't saying anything about them actually being law enforcement officers in any official capacity. The employer would be the school district. 

Here is how it works according to TCOLE, http://www.tcole.texas.gov/content/school-marshals

Quote

 

School Marshal

HB 1009, passed by the 83rd legislature, allows public school districts and open enrollment charter schools to appoint School Marshals. The 84th legislature passed SB 386 to include Public two year junior colleges in the list of institutions that can appoint School Marshals.  The 85th legislature passed HB 867, which allows private schools to appoint School Marshals.

The sole purpose of a School Marshal is to prevent the act of murder or serious bodily injury on school premises, and act only as defined by the written regulations adopted by the School Board/Governing Body.

After making application with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, a qualifying institution must send the candidate to an 80 hour training course, conducted by a law enforcement academy that has been specifically prepared to provide the school marshal curriculum.  Among the topics covered in the School Marshal course are: physical security, improving the security of the campus, use of force, active shooter response, and weapon proficiency.  No other course can be substituted or exempt an individual from the specific school marshal training course. 

Appointing Entity Information

The Appointing Entity will be the School Board/Governing Body of a Public School, Open Enrollment Charter School, or a Public two Year Junior College.

Process to appoint a school marshal:

1.     Appointing Entity must submit the completed Appointing Entity Number Application to TCOLE.  This form designates all authorized signatures on forms and paperwork to follow.  (Provided upon request).

2.     Appointing Entity selects candidate(s) for School Marshal.

-       Candidate(s) must be an employee(s) of the school or college.

-       Candidate(s) must hold a valid License to Carry, issued through the Texas Department of Public Safety.  (Copy submitted to TCOLE).

-       Candidate(s) must pass a psychological exam (TCOLE will provide this form).

-       Candidate(s) attends/completes TCOLE approved 80 hour School Marshal course.

3.     Appointing Entity submits School Marshal Appointment Form and Fee.  Once approved, a School Marshal license will issue to the candidate(s).  He or she will be authorized to act as a School Marshal, per the written regulations adopted by the School Board/Governing Body.  

 

 

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So if a shooting happens, the state/district can brag that only 8 students were killed and 14 wounded before the resource officer took them down... in a best case scenario. And in more realistic scenario, you have Parkland all over again. 

The insanity of the gun situation is just exhausting. And I want to be positive and think that eventually the tide will turn and people will eventually get tired of all the BS that it's anything but the guns. But then I see our healthcare system and realize that something bad can go on for an eternity when there are entrenched interests.

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Gonna be super hard to determine who has the concealed weapon in August, September, and May?  Maybe the teacher or staff member wearing a wool jacket in 100 degree weather?  

Or is the idea, the mass shooter starts picking off adults first to eliminate the school 'Marshal' which in turn exhausts ammunition, and that's how we save the children?  

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2 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. The solution to our nation’s gun violence problem is more, not fewer, guns.

Study after study reveals that the vast majority of gun deaths involve only one or a few firearms. In such situations, bullets are able to fly unimpeded. To prevent potentially deadly rounds from reaching their targets, we need an arsenal of guns firing non-stop to fill the air with so many bullets that the ambient atmosphere becomes an impenetrable slurry of hot lead. 

It’s the only way to protect our children.

 

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25 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

I just want to point out that deciding our teachers are armed combatants in a war is a clear sign that we are a completely broken society.

Fuck every single one of you that believes this is the society we should live in.

As a child of the 80s for whom the only conceivable school shooter was a Soviet paratrooper, it is just amazing how far we've descended.

We're the frog that got boiled, and we didn't even notice.

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1 minute ago, Ghost of LL said:

As a child of the 80s for whom the only conceivable school shooter was a Soviet paratrooper, it is just amazing how far we've descended.

We're the frog that got boiled, and we didn't even notice.

I shouldn’t have any hope, but I believe that once the kids that have grown up doing active shooter drills in school are in charge, they’ll make changes.

Feel free to ban me @blacklab if that comment upsets you.

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As a pro-2A advocate, I have to honestly ask some folks on here because my neighbors who believe in shit like this think I'm kidding because I'm so damn sarcastic in real life...................does stupid shit like this idea hurt your brain?  Like, I'll have a dumb idea I know is wrong but I gotta push it through for work or a charity or whatever, and it literally hurts.  I get migraines, I'm tempted to drink again, I get nausea, sometimes even vertigo.  It's that bad.  Does stupid shit do that to you too and you just power through or is there like a coping exercise or? 

So the solitary "campus marshal" will remain in plain sight and then turn into armed hero like Superman?  And everybody else will pretend they don't know that Clark Kent is the guy packing?  It'll just be the art teacher with the bulky jacket on in May and everybody else just pretends, "Hey, Mr. Weatherspoon likes to look fancy at recess"  ???  That's our best plan short of single door schools?  This is the latest and greatest from you all-stars?  Serious question.  It's literally impossible you're this fucking stupid.  Like, they let you have kids 'n jobs 'n property taxes 'n shit?   

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4 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

As a pro-2A advocate, I have to honestly ask some folks on here because my neighbors who believe in shit like this think I'm kidding because I'm so damn sarcastic in real life...................does stupid shit like this idea hurt your brain?  Like, I'll have a dumb idea I know is wrong but I gotta push it through for work or a charity or whatever, and it literally hurts.  I get migraines, I'm tempted to drink again, I get nausea, sometimes even vertigo.  It's that bad.  Does stupid shit do that to you too and you just power through or is there like a coping exercise or? 

So the solitary "campus marshal" will remain in plain sight and then turn into armed hero like Superman?  And everybody else will pretend they don't know that Clark Kent is the guy packing?  It'll just be the art teacher with the bulky jacket on in May and everybody else just pretends, "Hey, Mr. Weatherspoon likes to look fancy at recess"  ???  That's our best plan short of single door schools?  This is the latest and greatest from you all-stars?  Serious question.  It's literally impossible you're this fucking stupid.  Like, they let you have kids 'n jobs 'n property taxes 'n shit?   

or they won't know he's the marshall, he'll pull out his gun and then everyone will tell the cops, "that dude has a gun, too!!!!"

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5 minutes ago, texasdago said:

or they won't know he's the marshall, he'll pull out his gun and then everyone will tell the cops, "that dude has a gun, too!!!!"

Yeah, this morning I did dad drop-off duty where we relieve the teachers and do everything from crossing guard at the intersections to getting the buses priority to even opening up car doors to let the kids out to expedite the process/traffic flow.  We all kinda know each other but not terribly well, it's just a trust system.  I then walk back in to the building when it's done to stow my vest and sign and all that.  I could easily walk in and say "I'm the marshal today" with a smile and nobody would say a fucking thing.  But remember the more guns we have in these bullshit gun free zones, the better our children learn without library books.  

i love that this model is based on Air Marshals.  "Well if nobody knows who the armed marshal is, it's super deterrent to a would-be criminal."  Yeah, trouble with that magnificent theory...nobody can walk in and pretend to the armed Marshal on an airplane.  It's beyond easy to do at a school.  A fucking high schooler could do it and nobody would know anything about it until there was 19 dead primary school kids on the floor.  

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2 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

If I see someone entering a school with his shirt untucked, but a clear bulge on his right hip, don’t I have a moral obligation to tackle and disarm him?  Or do I have to just let him go because he’s probably the undercover marshal? 

Fog of war, man.

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So we are expecting the guy with the subcompact concealed weapon to engage the guy with the AR-15 now?  Remember the Supreme Court ruled they have no duty to do their duty.   So the marshall is free to hide behind children or waddle away.  

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14 minutes ago, Nivek said:

So we are expecting the guy with the subcompact concealed weapon to engage the guy with the AR-15 now?  Remember the Supreme Court ruled they have no duty to do their duty.   So the marshall is free to hide behind children or waddle away.  

Yeah. Actual full on cops in Uvalde where scared to engage when they had similar firepower. Now we're going to have a guy with a Glock going Leeroy Jenkins? 

Again, they will kill 4 children and somehow the "it could have been worse" crowd will chalk it up as a victory.

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2 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

So these people are going to be anonymous?  Are they going to wear untucked, really baggy shirts?  Because if they have on khakis and a tucked in button down shirt, they’re going to be anonymous for about 5 seconds.

 

everybody has to wear a fanny pack, but only the marshal has a gun in his.

If done right, could be very stylish, and functional too.

 

 

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These "marshals" will be teachers or administrators or others already employed by the district who volunteer for the program

The plan calls for each school marshal to carry a concealed handgun and for their identity to be confidential, according to school board documents. 
 
Not sure how they would remain anonymous if they are conducting safety drills and performing audits.
 
 


Because it's a bullshit non-solution.

Look, as long as they know the difference between a clip and a magazine, these people will be fine.
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On 4/21/2023 at 11:15 AM, BrickHorn said:

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. The solution to our nation’s gun violence problem is more, not fewer, guns.

Study after study reveals that the vast majority of gun deaths involve only one or a few firearms. In such situations, bullets are able to fly unimpeded. To prevent potentially deadly rounds from reaching their targets, we need an arsenal of guns firing non-stop to fill the air with so many bullets that the ambient atmosphere becomes an impenetrable slurry of hot lead. 

It’s the only way to protect our children.

Like this but with real loads instead of encased meat:

 

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San Marcos ISD wants to spend $500,000 over three years.  They have seven elementary schools.  That's about $24,000 per school per year.

Alternatively, they could give raises to their elementary teachers, or spend it all on an extra teacher for each of their two junior highs ($83,000 per school per year) or blow it all on an awesome teacher for their one high school ($167,000 per year).  Or give six seniors a full ride freshman year scholarship to Texas or Texas A&M, housing included.

Nice to know that San Marcos has the extra cash to blow on this kind of stuff.

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More high school prom shootings last night.  Good Guy with a Gun was apparently not invited to prom, which would explain why he'll go on to eventually shoot up a school himself.  

And for the 39th time in the last 10 years, Thoughts & Prayers did not work in Texas.  
Are you guys even fucking trying with your thoughts and prayers or is your mind & spirit just drifting off to gay sex or something?  I mean other than lecturing folks on ballistics and calibers, you only have the one fucking job---thoughts and prayers and you're fucking that up.  I'm the guy who does his job, you must be the other guy.  

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On 4/21/2023 at 9:44 AM, Herbie Hancock said:

Did I miss in the article where it says they're hiring civilians? Because it clearly states to be a "marshal" you have to be a licensed peace officer in the state of Texas.

Also, whoever hired Stan Standridge as San Marcos police chief needs to be tarred and feathered. He's not crooked like Art, but he loves himself some Stan and he's incompetent as fuck. You gotta be a special kind of jackass to be run out of Abilene.

Art with all his downfalls probably wouldn’t have let APD get to where it’s at now…. 

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