School safety strategy unveiled

DALLAS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday recommended dozens of strategies to make schools safer in the wake of the deadly shooting at a Houston-area high school, including increasing the presence of law enforcement officers at schools.

The Republican and staunch gun-rights supporter released a 43-page report that also included suggesting more mental health screening for students. A handful of the recommendations involved gun safety in Texas, a state that embraces its gun-friendly reputation and has more than 1.2 million people licensed to carry handguns.

Abbot said funding for some of the recommendations will be aided by federal grants, though others require state lawmakers to weigh in.

“We all share a common bond: And that is we want action to prevent another shooting like what happened at Santa Fe High School,” Abbott, who is campaigning for reelection, said during a news conference at Dallas school district headquarters.

The report comes a day after students returned to Santa Fe High School for the first time since the May 18 shooting that killed eight students and two substitute teachers, and critically wounded a police officer.

The recommendations were made following three days of mostly closed-door meetings that Abbott quickly organized last week with school districts, shooting survivors and groups on both sides of the gun-control debate, among others.

So far, the governor has ignored calls from a handful of lawmakers from both parties to call the Legislature into special session to address gun laws.