Northside ISD Struggles with School Safety Funding

0:00It's April 21st, I'm Cory with the story, and this is El Paso News today. Local news powered by AI. Leaders at Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, the fourth largest in Texas, say school safety is priority number one, but state. Funding just isn't keeping pace. House built three requires an armed officer on every campus, and that alone costs way more than $20 per student, not counting extras like, door alarms, security vestibules, and fencing projects. Material prices are climbing fast. One percent a month means 12 percent a year, which outruns the money coming in. Last year, House built two double safety funds to $20 per student and $33,450 per campus. But district heads like Superintendent Kraft point out it still leaves a big gap. These shortages hit hard in a district serving over 90,000 kids, where they've got more than 100 officers on staff, yet run deficits. Time to cover everything.

1:00Officials stress they won't over promise on protection, especially when lives are on the line. Some schools are bridging the gap with smart tech, like sensors that detect weapons or even vaping, which security experts call a budget friendly. Upgrade. Modernizing software on existing access systems often fits right into the allocated funds. Texas districts keep pushing for safer campuses amid these funding squeezes, balancing mandates with real-world costs to protect the next generation.