According to KHOU news 10 school districts throughout Texas received military surplus equipment, including trucks, guns, and armor, through a Department of Defense program. Texarkana ISD Police Department being one of the 10 districts that received guns through the Texas 1033 Military Surplus Property Program.
According to Tina Veal-Gooch, Executive Director of Public Relations for TISD, “Texarkana ISD Police Department applied for and received 12 M-16 rifles at no cost on July 10, 2013. At that time, we were looking to purchase AR-15 rifles at an estimated cost of $18,000 – $25,000. In receiving these M-16’s through the program, it saved our school district money and allowed us to convert these firearms to semi-automatic which is what our department is trained on.”
“School district police departments work to create a safe and secure environment for students and staff. Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and many others, our department felt it was necessary for us to look at other weaponry that could/would assist us in the event of a sniper type situation. It’s important that school district police departments make changes and upgrade equipment as needed to protect our campuses,” said Veal-Cooch.
Courtesy of Scott Noll, KHOU 11 News, Houston
See the KHOU article to see a full list of schools in Texas that received equipment from the program http://www.khou.com/story/news/investigations/2014/09/05/military-rifles-armor-ammo-sent-to-texas-school-police/15112731/
