The Northeast Independent School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday voted 7-0 to renew a good-cause exception that allows the district to staff campuses with campus safety specialists rather than certified armed peace officers required under state law.
The resolution was presented by Dan Lyon and framed by Dr. Micah, who introduced Lyon and asked him to address the board.
Lyon told the board HB 3 requires an armed peace officer or SRO on every campus during the school day, but the district "is unable to find personnel who qualify and to serve as a security officer." He asked the board to approve a good-cause exception to permit the continued use of campus safety specialists. "The campus safety specialists have proven to be an invaluable asset," Lyon said, adding administrators requested specialists be retained when principals transferred campuses. "The protective presence and proactive approach of our CSS staff contribute significantly to preserving the safety integrity of our campuses."
Dr. Micah and board members discussed the prior resolution that originally claimed the exception and confirmed the document before the trustees was an updated version "in accordance with house bill 1 21," the board clerk said. After questions from trustees about whether the resolution differed from the prior version, the board moved to approve the resolution "as presented." The motion passed by voice vote, 7-0.
The renewal explicitly responds to the HB 3 staffing requirement while preserving the district’s existing campus safety-specialist roles where certified peace officers are not available. The board did not change the district policy language during the vote; trustees approved the resolution as presented.
The board will file the renewed resolution and its minutes consistent with the Texas Open Meetings Act.