Over the past decade, Texas school districts have increased the presence of police officers on campuses and adopted stricter disciplinary policies, leading to a significant rise in the referral of young students to the juvenile justice system. Data analysis reveals that more than 47,000 children aged 10 to 13 were referred for prosecution following school-related incidents since the 2014-15 academic year, with nearly 4,800 referrals occurring during the 2024-25 school year alone—an increase of approximately one-third compared to a decade earlier.
Most cases involve minor offenses such as making threats, using cannabis vapes, or engaging in altercations with classmates or staff, seldom resulting in serious physical harm. Examples include an 11-year-old in Austin who accidentally bumped a school counselor, a 10-year-old in Victoria who falsely reported a weapon on campus, and another 10-year-old in El Paso who kicked an assistant principal after having his cellphone confiscated. Although the charges against the El Paso child were dropped two months later, the family endured significant legal expenses and emotional distress, resulting in the child's decline in academic performance and increased anxiety.
While serious incidents involving young students are rare, they do occur. Last year, an 11-year-old at Harris Middle School in San Antonio was charged with carrying a concealed weapon after school officials discovered a gun in his backpack. Juvenile judge William Shaw of San Antonio has noted that many such cases could be addressed by school principals, cautioning that adolescent behavior sometimes leads to minor conflicts that do not necessitate arrests.
The expansion of school policing, fueled by billions of dollars in state funding, has transformed disciplinary practices across Texas. Critics argue that students are frequently subjected to law enforcement interventions, including physical restraints and the use of pepper spray or Tasers, for incidents that previously might have been handled administratively. Referrals usually occur after a child is taken into custody by a school officer, sometimes leading to court supervision, community service, or juvenile detention, while even warnings or brief detentions can disrupt education and contribute to the so-called school-to-prison pipeline.
Statewide data show that referrals of children aged 10 to 13 have grown faster than those for older students and have increased across all racial groups, with Black students referred at approximately twice the rate of their white and Hispanic peers. The post-pandemic return to in-person schooling was accompanied by a rise in fights and disciplinary referrals, but the surge in referrals for young children outpaced overall student population growth. While major districts like Houston and Dallas have reduced arrests in recent years, the overall statewide increase is largely attributable to about 60 districts, which have added more officers or adopted more aggressive policing approaches.
Some district officials view the rise in referrals as a necessary measure to enhance school safety following the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. However, elected officials such as Representative Joe Moody have called the increase in criminalizing minor misbehavior among young children troubling and expressed intentions to advocate for reforms that would limit police involvement in school discipline.
Cases such as that of a 12-year-old girl in Galveston illustrate the personal toll of this approach. Shortly after starting at Central Middle School in August 2024, the student was arrested and handcuffed for refusing to move to the school lobby after being found disruptive. Body camera footage shows officers using force to secure compliance and the school police chief threatening to post video of the girl on social media, though the district superintendent denied that any footage was posted online. The child was charged with trespassing and later placed on probation, with her mother reporting a subsequent decline in the girl’s academic engagement and well-being. Experts reviewing the case criticized the handling as unnecessary and inappropriate.
The growing reliance on school police officers to manage routine disciplinary issues reflects a shift away from prior practices where teachers and administrators addressed minor misbehavior internally. Texas law directs school officers to avoid routine student discipline but lacks clear definitions or enforcement mechanisms. Law enforcement professionals caution that officers may default to arrests when campus threats are absent, as their training emphasizes responding to criminal conduct.
Incidents of misdemeanor assault involving young students have led to criminal charges in situations where parents expected minor penalties such as detention or apologies. In one instance at Waltz Middle School near Austin, three boys aged 11 and 12 were charged with assault after an altercation that school officials later acknowledged should have been handled without police involvement.
Additionally, the number of referrals for “terroristic threats” among children aged 10 to 13 has tripled in the past decade, exceeding 600 annually, signaling a toughened stance on perceived threats.
The increased criminalization of young students in Texas schools has sparked debate over balancing campus safety with protecting children’s developmental and educational needs, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by districts navigating discipline in a heightened security environment.