Proposed Armed Security Guards at La Feria ISD

Updated: August 25, 2022

By: Emilia Contreras & Emilio Flores
La Feria News

La Feria, Texas — On Friday, August 12th, the La Feria School District held a board meeting to propose possible action regarding having security guards at each school’s respected location.
The La Feria ISD has been taking measures to upgrade its security system, including new automatic electric gates and updated cameras.

Earlier this month a meeting took place, in which the school’s security system and safety were discussed. This was of major concern due to a lack of cameras in many areas and very outdated equipment. Superintendent, Cynthia Torres says it is for this reason that the district has decided to take extra measures to update its entire campus.

They are currently working on installing electric gates in addition to a brand new surveillance system.
The proposed action at this meeting was a request for armed security to be present on campus. This would provide a faster response time in case of emergencies, which the district feels is imperative for student safety, as it fosters peace of mind for both students and parents alike.

Superintendent Torres says it is vital that campus security be both trained and armed in order to achieve the level of security that the district feels is necessary. Torres spoke on the difference between armed and unarmed security, describing having unarmed security as simply “like another staff member.”
Torres assures that the school district has complete “confidence in the local law enforcement” and mentions that the goal is for private security to work with the police while providing constant attention and immediate response that the police may not always be able to provide.

The estimated cost for this type of security is approximately $175k-$200k. Chief Finance Officer, Alex Cespedes mentions that while this amount is tentative, this is the estimated budget they are bearing in mind while striving to obtain and secure their funds.

This request for approval of armed and trained security is driven by the belief that emergency situations could be quickly diminished and even prevented with the presence of trained individuals.

While the request to search for private security has been approved, the school district is now searching for agencies as well as additional funding for the next step in this process.

Additionally, it was decided that the final decision regarding this matter will be evaluated and discussed in a future scheduled meeting on September 12th.

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