The Humble Independent School District has approved a new pilot program that will allow select volunteer employees to carry firearms on campus as part of a school marshal initiative.
School board members, who approved the measure in a 6 to 1 vote, say the move is meant to add another layer of protection for students and staff, not replace existing school police presence.
What the board approved:
- Pilot authorization only: The board’s vote lets the district move forward with the safety committee’s work to develop written regulations, recruit volunteers and design the program. That’s expected to take several months. The written regulations, once approved, would help determine a timeline for when the first school marshals may be placed on campuses. The board repeatedly said the pilot program is intended to test the approach and gather feedback before any full rollout.
- Volunteer only: School marshal candidates must be district employees who volunteer for the role. If the district does not get enough volunteers, the program will not proceed.
- Supplement to law enforcement: Trustees said the School Marshal layer is intended to supplement — not replace — district police and local law enforcement.
During the board discussion, trustees outlined the multi-step process volunteers must complete before being authorized to carry on campus:
- Must be a district employee and hold a current Texas License to Carry
- Candidates will face a background check and psychological exam
- Social media and other records will be reviewed as part of vetting
- Initial training will take place in College Station, where candidates must complete an 80‑hour school marshal training course approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), which certifies all law enforcement officers in the state
- The district plans to eventually have its own training academy up and running and begin offering a variety of training classes in 2026. Humble ISD Police Department is the first school district police department in Texas authorized with academy training provider status from TCOLE, according to the district. The district’s police chief will have final authority to certify or deny Humble ISD school marshal candidates after training.
- Assuming the pilot plan works, the district plans to eventually run the training locally under the supervision of Humble ISD’s police chief once the academy is approved.
- Ongoing recertification and weapons proficiency training will be required (board members discussed re‑qualification at intervals such as every three to six months).
The marshal program has been legal in Texas since 2013, but this marks the first time Humble ISD will implement its own version. District leaders expect the rollout to be gradual, taking a year or more to finalize manuals, complete training cycles, and assign the first certified marshals to campuses.
Texas law already requires at least one armed guard on every public school campus.
We spoke with Kyle Barnes, a parent of a fourth grader in Humble ISD, about the program.
“I believe if they get the appropriate training, it might be a good thing for the city.”When asked about concerns over adding more guns in schools, Barnes said, “I believe guns aren’t really the issue. It’s the people with the guns. If you have the wrong people with guns without the training, that’s when mistakes happen. But if they have the necessary protocols and procedures in place and training, I believe it might be beneficial for the school district.”
He acknowledged that Texas schools currently have one armed person on campus, but this program could allow multiple trained marshals throughout the school.
“What I saw with their safety procedures is that kids are really housed in place with the adult. If that adult had that training and they had that weapon, they could protect that classroom.”
Barnes emphasized the importance of transparency with parents.
“I believe there should be true transparency with the parents and the faculty and staff. Maybe this happens at the open house where they show us where the lockbox is, where that firearm will be held, and go over safety procedures on when they’ll be able to use it. Just full transparency, maybe a parent meeting at the beginning of the year to reiterate the protocol and procedures in place.”
He also said he still has questions about how the program will be implemented, including who will approve each candidate.
The district says it will continue to keep parents informed as the program protocol develops.