A new Utah law requires armed guards in every public school, but without enough funds or personnel, schools are struggling to meet the mandate.
HB84, which was passed during this year’s legislative session, requires every public school in the state to have armed security personnel on-site during school hours. But the initial allocation — roughly $100 million — isn’t nearly enough to make that happen.
Members of the state’s School Security Task Force came to that conclusion last week after meeting to discuss how the new initiative was going.
“We have [schools] that — they want to do the right thing, they’re in the process of doing the right thing,” said Utah State Board of Education member Joseph Kerry on Oct. 14. “The funding continues to be something that they struggle with.”
Kerry said USBE plans to request another $100 million from lawmakers during next year’s legislative session, which would raise total allocations to over $200 million. The additional funding would help schools hire armed guards and comply with new “minimum” security standards outlined in the law, such as video surveillance; ballistic windows or security film on ground-level floors; and internal classroom door locks.
However, Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden, said he estimates the final price tag could be much higher — about $800 million.
“That $800 million number is ... what I think probably really exists based on the number of schools, and what we’ve seen so far,” Wilcox said.
Task force members haven’t specified how much funding they ultimately will request, as the amount will largely depend on the results of school “safety needs assessments.” The law requires schools to complete the assessments to identify gaps in safety and security.
The deadline for schools to complete the assessments is Dec. 31.
Total school safety spending could be closer to $1 billion
On top of that funding ask, the state has already dished out $75 million to help schools fund critical security upgrades.
HB61, passed during the 2023 legislative session, set aside $72 million in School Safety and Support grant funding. The remaining $3 million was allocated specifically for gun-detection software.
Last year, USBE awarded that $3 million contract to AEGIX Global, a Salt Lake City-based security software company and the statewide reseller for ZeroEyes, a software powered by artificial intelligence that works to detect firearms through video surveillance.
Schools were required to apply for the $72 million grant, and preliminary awards were announced earlier this year. More than 150 districts and charters vied for a piece of it, according to an open records request. Asks ranged from bleeding kits to front office renovations to hiring school resource officers.
Schools have until June 2026 to exhaust their awards.
State expects full compliance
Kerry said school administrators are “overwhelmed,” likening their feelings to the “Mission Impossible” theme song, with its urgent rhythm and tense undertones.
“Their heart is there,” Kerry said. “They are willing to do it, but they’re looking at the price tag.”
But funding is just one reason why schools across the state are failing to meet the legal requirements of the new “guardian” law, task force members shared last week.
In some instances, there has been hesitation or outright refusal to comply.
“I think the majority of [schools] have been on board,” said State Security Chief Matt Pennington. “There’s a minority of some of them that are asking, ‘Well, what happens if we don’t do it?’”
Wilcox stressed the state “fully expects compliance with the law.”
If schools do not comply, Wilcox said the law affords them one “nuclear” option — shutting schools down.
“None of us want to close a school,” Wilcox added. “That’s not the goal of any of this.”
Law enforcement also feeling the strain
One of the key goals of HB84 was to establish the School Guardian Program, which allows school employees — except principals, teachers and staff with significant classroom duties — to volunteer as security guards.
The program offers schools a third way to comply with the armed guard requirement, aside from the more traditional options of hiring School Resource Officers (SROs) or School Security Officers (SSOs).
To become a “guardian,” candidates must be recommended by school administrators and undergo a mental health screening before entering the program. Then, they must complete firearm and de-escalation training provided by their county’s security chief, as well as training on basic first aid and coordinating with law enforcement.
This training, Wilcox previously told The Salt Lake Tribune, totals 84 hours, aligning with the standards for law enforcement officers. Additionally, guardians are required to hold a valid concealed carry permit. They receive a $500 stipend.
However, all that training — and the increasing demand for school resource officers, as more than 1,000 public schools seek armed security — is creating a financial strain for law enforcement agencies as well.
That’s why the task force last week also discussed potentially allocating more dollars to local law enforcement agencies. Pennington noted that police departments and sheriff’s offices might require extra funding to incentivize officers to take on SRO positions, which isn’t a popular choice for those just starting their careers.
Of the initial $100 million set aside by legislators to enact HB84, about $1.3 million was reserved for the Department of Public Safety in order to cover “systems integration, guardian stipends and financial services overtime costs.”
Another $48.7 million was allocated to grants for schools based on their “safety needs assessment.” The remaining $50 million will be doled out as general grants to schools at the discretion of the School Security Task Force.
“If we had enough money and enough people, we could fix all the problems,” Rep. Matthew Gwynn, R-Farr West, said Oct. 14, noting the comment was “tongue-in-cheek.”
“Prioritization,” he continued, “that’s really going to be the focus of what we do moving forward.”
