HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Galena Park ISD unanimously approved a motion to hire 19 additional school officers for the district on Monday.
Editorial note: The above video is from a related story.
In a 6-0 vote, the district passed the motion which comes just three weeks following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
RELATED: 'We don't have months' | Local leader wants to form commission to keep schools safe starting now
The approval gives Dr. John Moore, Galena Park ISD's superintendent, the ability to move forward with negotiating and executing new contracts with law enforcement for the district's campuses.
Harris County Constable Precincts 2 and 3 will provide the 19 additional school officers, which will make sure every campus and other facilities in the district has an assigned officer.
The district said it would like to have the officers in place at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, but no later than September 1.
“Safety is a top priority in GPISD, and it is a responsibility we take seriously,” said Board President Adrian Stephens. “This will ensure every campus and daycare has an assigned officer.
RELATED: After Uvalde school shooting, Texas police wonder how much training is enough — and will it matter?
The district serves more than 22,000 students across 24 campuses, according to their website.
The Board of Trustees also approved a 3 percent pay increase for all district employees and a new starting teacher salary of $62,750, with a sign-on incentive of $2,500.