WHITE OAK, Texas — School districts across East Texas have been working effectively to add more safety and security measures in response to the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting.
White Oak ISD Superintendent Brian Gray said he, along with his security team, examined its current safety protocols and saw there needed to be a change.
"After the Uvalde tragedy, immediately after that, we convened a meeting of our safety and security team," Gray said. "One of the topics was the school resource officer that's here on campus every day."
The idea was presented to the board of trustees and the city, then later approved.
"I think number one, everybody's concerned now about safety and security. For kiddos and staff, I mean, it's in the forefront of everybody's mind," Gary said. "A school resource officer, obviously, on campus every single day, can be a deterrent and be a benefit to our safety and security team."
The police response time in the Uvalde school tragedy has also played a huge factor into White Oak ISD's decision to hire a resource officer.
Gray said having that immediate response in the event of a school shooting is essential.
"We've had such a great relationship with the White Oak Police Department. I mean, they're just down the road but obviously, with the thought of response time, we kind of decided that a school resource officer would be important to have," Gray said.
The school district is in partnership with the WOPD to ensure they hire the right person for the job.
"Our goal is to have somebody in place at the start of the school year," Gray said. "So basically how that works is they will be an employee of White Oak police department and they'll carry their police officer commission. With that being said, they'll work for us during the day and be pseudo employee of White Oak ISD."
The pay rate will start at around $45,000 to $55,000 per year. A cost that is worth every penny for the safety of the students and staff.
"Any time you can have additional law enforcement, it's got to be a deterrent," Gray said. "And it's just an added safety factor for kids. So it's all been positive."