It depends. In Texas, more than 200 school districts have their own police forces, while many others contract with local police departments, which station officers on campuses. Police officers in school district police departments report to the Chief of Police of the school district police department, who then reports to the district's Superintendent. Police officers who work in school districts that contract with local police departments often report to the Chief of Police of the local police department.
The contracts between 1) school districts and local police departments and 2) school district police departments and the local police departments with overlapping jurisdiction are called Memoranda of Understanding, or MOUs.
Schools and school districts actually have a lot of power to control officers in their schools by creating rules, policies, MOUs, and contracts that:
- limit officers' presence so that they are not inside the school building unless they are responding to a real emergency
- train educators and administrators to respond to challenges and student needs without relying on law enforcement
- increase the number of counselors, psychiatrists, social workers, and trauma specialists who can provide prevention and intervention services for students and families
- clearly limit the role of officers in school district policies and contracts so that officers are not responding to routine discipline issues
Students, parents, and educators should urge their schools and districts to create clear rules, procedures, and MOUs that define and limit the role of police officers in schools and ensure that students' needs are being met by other, non-law enforcement professionals.