SILSBEE — School security is a promise to parents that their children will be protected inside campus grounds.
When students return to Silsbee High School this fall, they'll be sharing the halls with an armed teacher.
Silsbee High School teacher Matt Ortego says "I'm excited about this year. I support our staff, they support me. It's a big task."
Ortego has served in multiple agencies of law enforcement for more than a decade and is in his second year at SHS, teaching criminal justice.
He also serves as an Orange County Deputy Constable Precinct 4 and Thursday marked the first day Ortego could legally carry his gun inside the facility.
"I think the reception is they're going to feel safer, especially in my classroom, Ortego says. "I've already had teachers and some of the other faculty and staff here reach out to me and say 'they feel completely safe, a lot safer now that they know they have a teacher upstairs who can legally carry a duty weapon.'"
"Silsbee ISD several years ago took the initiative to start this before we started having all of the issues we're having in the nation right now," says superintendent Richard Bain. "This was a proactive effort, nothing prompted it. We just wanted to be proactive to ensure that we were protecting our students and staff."
Both the middle school and high school have had an armed officer present for many years and the district added one to the elementary campus a couple years ago.
"Anywhere you go where you see a police officer, you see an immediate change in people's attitude, says Director of Security for Silsbee ISD Ben Hawthorne. "Some stop acting a certain way, some start acting a certain way. Yet, it is a proven deterrent to crime to have a police officer present."
Inside Silsbee High School, Ortego hopes his presence will reassure students and staff.
"If it means me giving my life for these kids, I would want somebody doing it for my children. I've got babies too that are in school, says Ortego. "I'd want that police officer to step up even if it meant him losing his life because that's what he signed up to do."
The district will also be adding fences around its middle school this year.
Protecting students and staff from potential dangers outside of these buildings are just one aspect of the security efforts.
Children and faculty inside schools can anonymously report bullying, violence and other problems they encounter by texting or calling 1-206-406-6485 or online at www.stayalert.info.
Students will head back to school on Aug. 27th.