PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Southeast Texas school districts and parents are reacting to the passing of a bill by the Texas House that would help beef up school security.
House Bill 3, authored by Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, passed 119-25. It now heads to the Senate.
This bill included hiring at least one armed security officer at every campus, providing incentives for school employees to get certified to carry a weapon and installing silent panic alert buttons in every classroom.
School safety is a priority for both chambers this legislative session after the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde left 19 children and two teachers dead in 2022.
The armed guards in schools proposed by this bill could be a police officer, a teacher, a coach or even a principal.
Port Arthur Independent School District Communications Specialist Adrienne Lott says, teachers already have a lot on their plate.
Lott says out of 16 campus, only eight have officers who carry.
"They have enough. They have their hands full with educating our children," she said. "If we want to consider putting guns in the hands of our security officers that may be something that we discuss"
Lott along with Port Arthur parents 12News spoke with agree that guns should not be in the hands of educators.
"I understand why they're doing it, but i'm just, we have officers that's going to be there. I think they can do it," said Grandparent Heather Washington.
One parent says, she doesn't feel comfortable with the idea.
"You never know anybody's true intentions and you never know who can get access to the gun," she said.
Lott says, she doesn't think arming educators will benefit campuses.
"We feel that our security measures, we should leave security in the hands of the security experts," she said.
Orange County Precinct 4 Constable Matt Ortego tells 12News during the time he was a reserve officer while teaching at Silsbee High School, he carried a gun.
"Even if they're in the parking lot, the response time it delays risk of students being killed. So, yes I do believe that having the properly trained staff to be able to carry a gun," Ortego said.
In addition, the bill was amended to give schools $100 for each student who regularly attends classes, plus an additional $15,000 each year, to upgrade their security. The change would raise the cost of the bill from $300 million to about $1.6 billion