TITLE: Recognizing Superintendent David Thweatt for creating the Guardian Plan for the Harrold ISD.

SUMMARY: Recognizing Superintendent David Thweatt for creating the Guardian Plan for the Harrold ISD.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Superintendent David Thweatt of the Harrold Independent School District has responded to new challenges to campus safety by creating the Guardian Plan, which allows teachers to carry firearms as a defense against a potential school shooting; and WHEREAS, Harrold ISD is a rural school district serving 200 square miles near the Texas-Oklahoma border; its 24 employees and 115 students at all grade levels come together each day in a single two-story building situated in the middle of farmland; the nearest law enforcement agency, the Wilbarger County Sheriff's Department, is 15 minutes away by car; and WHEREAS, In 2007, after the Pennsylvania Amish schoolhouse shooting that resulted in 5 deaths and the Virginia Tech shooting that left more than 30 dead, Superintendent Thweatt worried that the long emergency response time left the school vulnerable if a similar incident were to occur in his district; in response, he created the Guardian Plan, whereby certain teachers and administrators are authorized to carry firearms on campus at all times; each volunteer receives 15 hours of training that includes hostage scenarios and shooting drills, and the identities of the armed teachers are known only to select local officials; and WHEREAS, In the years since, Mr. Thweatt's program has been adopted by at least 170 other Texas school districts, and his initiative has helped provide peace of mind to students, parents, and teachers across the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas Legislature hereby recognize Superintendent David Thweatt for creating the Guardian Plan and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Thweatt as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.