Austin drone company promotes school security system to lawmakers

AUSTIN, Texas - State lawmakers were told a new security drone system, based in Austin, could help school districts comply with a new campus security law. 

Districts are required to have armed guards on campuses in response to the Uvalde mass shooting, but some are having trouble filling those positions.

State law requires public schools to have at least one armed security guard on campus during school hours. The law is a mandate, but it also has a section that allows districts to request an exception due to funding or personnel shortages. 

On Tuesday, members of the Senate Education K-16 committee considered legislation that modifies the security law. 

SB 1262, filed by Jacksonville Republican Sen. Robert Nichols, makes it clear the waiver is not permanent.

"A good cause exception to the armed guard requirement has to be renewed on an annual basis. It establishes a new report based on the intruder detection audits and district vulnerability assessments. It requires a team conducting a behavioral threat assessment on a special education student, must include a person who has specific knowledge of that student's disability," said Senator Nichols.

Campus Guardian Angel

Dig deeper:

A new drone security system, called Campus Guardian Angel, was offered as a way to help school districts comply with the law. 

Top executives of the Austin-based company appeared before the Senate committee to support SB 1262 and to promote their system.

"For schools in Texas, using the good cause exception of an armed peace officer, our service can become the primary proactive response against an active shooter until law enforcement arrives at the scene," said CEO Justin Marston.

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FOX 7 Austin's John Krinjak, back in March, profiled the company after the system was showcased during SXSW. The small aircraft are armed, but the committee was told, with less than lethal devices.

"To be clear, our drones are not flying around all the time. They will not be used to break up school fights, and they are not flown by artificial intelligence," said Bill King with Campus Guardian Angel. 

The committee was told the system isn't designed to replace human personnel, but can reduce the cost of coverage. 

State Sen. Royce West asked how much the system would cost a school district.

"We're $15K for a box of six drones. So, with all the weaponization, with all the crypto routers, with all the stuff. So if you're a small, tiny elementary school, it might be two boxes that you need, which would be, you have $30,000 and that box will last you over five years," said Marston.

State Senator Jose Menendez (D) San Antonio, noted how in the Uvalde mass shooting the door to the classroom, where the gunman was located, was closed. Menendez asked Bill King how their drones would address that kind of threat.

"So, in that situation, by the time he got to the school, we would have been flying drones against him already, so we would have been ready to meet him at the door, should he have made it into the school. Then, if he makes it into the classroom, we come in through the window," said King. 

What's next:

The Campus Guardian Angel system is currently being tested by the Boerne ISD security team. 

Lawmakers were also told a demonstration is scheduled soon at a private school in Austin.