Last week, we shared Arlington ISD’s legislative priority for school funding. This week, we’re posting the safety priority, and next week will be about academic growth.
The Arlington ISD Board of Trustees adopted these three priorities for the 89th Texas Legislative Session, which will likely have a big impact on public education.
That’s because the Texas legislature is responsible for public education in Texas and allocates money for public schools, crafts legislation regarding curriculum, instruction and assessment, and establishes mandates for districts to follow. That includes mandates and funding for school safety.
Here is Arlington ISD’s legislative priority on safety:
SAFETY
Our Position: Students and staff should feel safe and supported in all Texas schools. The Arlington ISD Board of Trustees, our community, and our staff members have demonstrated our commitment to safe and productive school environments through community-supported bond elections, prioritization of local funds, and full compliance with state safety requirements. We appreciate the state’s attention to this policy priority and stress that additional state resources are needed to meet the needs of our students. We ask the legislature to partner with school districts to provide sufficient, flexible, and comprehensive supports that ensure all students are protected in classrooms.
- Build on previous proposals to enhance student security through increased funding of the school safety allotment.
- Stabilize safety funding streams for school districts and avoid reliance on grant funding.
- Prioritize and increase support for student and staff mental health identification and services with flexibility to meet local needs.
- Fund Multi-disciplinary Threat Assessment Teams for every school district to ensure appropriate staffing and effective intervention to stop violence before it occurs.
Check back next week for the academic growth priority, or read the entire legislative agenda now here.