Houston Independent School District recently allocated more than $2.3 million for equipment it says will better arm its police officers in the event of an emergency situation, but the image of highly-armed law enforcement in schools doesn’t please some residents.

“Training is important, weaponry is not,” said Jennifer Layer, a Garden Oaks resident. “The fact that the money went to armor and weaponry is counterintuitive in my thinking.”

However, proponents say it is an attempt to better protect HISD’s nearly 195,000 students along with more than 27,000 full and part-time teachers and staff in the event of an active shooter or other emergency situations.

“Considering that HISD has (more than 280) campuses, this doesn’t feel like a huge price tag,” Laura McFarland said.

HISD approved the motion 6-3 during its regular board meeting on Aug. 11, in the ongoing aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde this past May in which 19 students and two teachers were killed. Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House II said funds will be used to equip the district’s police department, which consists of 140 campus police officers and 45 additional officers in the department’s patrol division.

Both board members and local community members were split on whether dedicating more than $2 million on such resources is the best way to prioritize the safety of students.  According to a report from KHOU, HISD police chief Pedro Lopez has said the $2.3 million was previously allocated to the department as part of the district’s $2.26 billion budget for the 2022-2023 school year that was approved on June 9.

The district has allocated more than $30.2 million in total for “Security and monitoring” according to HISD budget documents. According to HISD spokesperson Dennis Spellman, roughly 57 percent ($1.3 million) of allocated funds will be used for upgrading two-way radios. The remaining $1 million will be used for breaching tools, rifles, ballistic plates, medical kits, shields and gun safes according to Spellman, though he declined to provide the exact number of each item that will be purchased.

Campus and patrol officers will not carry the equipment around on a daily basis, according to House, who also said district police will undergo training with the new equipment when it is received. The gear will then only be brought out in the event of emergency situations, according to House.

“We’ve looked at (doing something like this) for quite some time. We’re not increasing the number of guns we have for a particular reason,” he said during the Aug. 11 meeting. “…It’s not about militarizing our campuses; it’s about being prepared for the most difficult situations.”

Trustees Kendall Baker, Sue Deigaard, Kathy Blueford-Daniels, Myrna Guidry, Bridget Wade, and Patricia Allen voted in favor of the motion, while local trustee Elizabeth Santos along with Dani Hernandez and Judith Cruz opposed it.

Following a closed session to discuss the measure, a roughly 30-minute debate took place among trustees with those on both sides of the measure putting forth their pleas.

“To say that these are trying times is an understatement,” said Santos, whose District 1 includes many local schools in Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, the Heights and Near Northside. “But my belief is still that more weaponry is not the answer. More guns have never made students safe. My colleagues - I value you, I’ll honor your decision, but this is not the direction of the world that I want to see my son in.”

However, those such as District 2 Trustee Kathy Blueford-Daniels and District 6 Trustee Kendall Baker said time was of the essence.

“We have to be able to take emotions out of this decision. We don’t have time to waste on this,” Baker said. “…I think any step towards fully securing our children is good. Any inch towards that is a good place to start.”

Hernandez said she doesn’t believe the district has explored all options, and believes other measures such as metal detectors and improved perimeter fencing would be preferable to additional police equipment. And some local residents such as Michelle Gonzalez agree.

“I think those funds should have been used to hire security to stand at every single HISD school,'' Gonzalez said. “I also believe all schools should have metal detectors.”

Blueford-Daniels, however, believes it is a step in the right direction.

“We know we need to have some extended conversations about safety issues, but this is a first step,” she said.

Garden Oaks resident Elise Fleming, who teaches in HISD, said she is not generally a fan of purchasing more weapons or gear. However, she said that since the district has also put more emphasis on mental health with its new Social Emotional Liaison department and additional training, she believes the purchase was the right idea.

“Because this new weapons/gear purchase is in addition to an investment in training and mental health, I think it is a good thing,” Fleming said.

Despite its passing, the issue looks to be one that will likely remain a hot topic. But House said the ultimate goal is the same as it’s always been – to ensure each student on HISD’s campuses can get their education and feel safe while doing so.

“The bigger issue here is ensuring (our police officers) have all of the tools possible so that they can be as safe as possible and provide the kind of safety that we want them to provide on our campuses,” he said. “We feel good about where we are, but we feel even better about the preparation that these things can provide as well.”

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