Katy ISD to renew annual good-cause exception allowing armed level-3 security officers on campuses

Katy ISD general counsel briefed trustees on a resolution to declare a good-cause exception for the statutory requirement that each campus be staffed by a commissioned peace officer carrying a firearm.

Justin Graham, general counsel, told the board the district has used a board-declared good-cause exception since September 2023 due to financial considerations and local difficulties hiring sufficient commissioned peace officers for the Katy ISD Police Department. “What the state law requires is that we have a commissioned peace officer at every campus with a firearm on their side, unless it’s unfeasible for a variety of reasons,” Graham said. He explained that the district instead arms level-3 security officers who complete an extensive training program and wear uniformed security assignments on campuses.

Graham said the 89th Legislature (recent session) requires the board to make the good-cause determination annually going forward; he anticipated bringing the resolution for the board to approve under the district's routine consent/approval process. No substantive discussion or public comment occurred on the item during the work study.