WYLIE, Texas — Michael Gonzalez, 22, hopes to work for the CIA or the FBI some day. But the Army veteran says perhaps the best career choice he's made so far is to help Wylie ISD meet new state standards for a security guard on every campus.
"It's a blessing. It truly is a blessing," he said on the third day of his assignment at Akin Elementary in Wylie ISD.
Gonzalez is one of 13 private security officers from L&P Global Security now employed by the school district.
"Very pleasantly surprised," said Wylie ISD Director of Safety and Security Brian Kelly -- of the choice the district made to employ the help of a private security firm.
"At this point, I think it was the right choice and looks like a very good solution. I know the principals and staff are just so thrilled to have somebody here that is focused on the security of the school," he said.
Larger districts like Dallas ISD and Fort Worth ISD began their school years on Monday, Aug. 14, while still trying to come up with their own solutions for the new state mandate.
In response to the school shooting in Uvalde that claimed 21 lives, the state legislature passed House Bill 3, which says Texas school districts must have an armed security officer on every campus by Sept. 1.
Dallas ISD, with its own police force, has enough school resource officers to cover all secondary schools and some multi-level schools. Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde says the requirement to cover each of the district's 230 campuses leaves them about 167 security officers short.
"Officers have assigned themselves out of leadership or investigative roles to be able to provide direct services to our campuses," she said of the current Dallas ISD attempt to fill the gap in the short term.
The law states an alternate plan can be made and approved if staffing or finances prevent a district from being in compliance with the armed officer requirement of the law.
Fort Worth ISD is working with the Fort Worth Police Department to figure out how to fill the gap.
"But it is going to take us time to implement a full resource officer at every single school," said Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Dr. Angelica Ramsey.
As for Gonzalez in Wylie, he is a full time criminal justice student at UNT working toward a career in law enforcement, for a very specific reason.
"My mom was actually at the Walmart shooting back in El Paso," he said of the 2019 mass shooting that claimed 23 lives and injured 22 more. "And ever since then I grew a strong urge to just serve and protect the community. I felt very helpless at that moment and I promised myself I will never be helpless again."
The children at Akin Elementary are already thanking him for that. A kindergartner named Aubrey drew a picture of him as a gift. He's in his uniform with a blue heart and "thank you" written alongside.
"Even the little kids they come up to me they give me hugs and they tell me thank you for being here. They're very aware. And it's been a blessing, it really is an honor to be here," said Gonzalez.
An honor, and a requirement, that hundreds of school districts are still trying to meet.