Texas School Safety Standards for Glass (19 TAC §61.1031): What They Require and How Districts Pay for It

What the rule says

On May 31, 2023 the Texas Education Agency adopted School Safety Standards in 19 TAC §61.1031, following the May 2022 shooting in Uvalde. Among the facility standards: doors constructed of glass or containing glass shall be constructed or modified such that the glass cannot be easily broken and allow an individual to open the door — and ground-level windows adjacent to exterior doors must be modified in the same way if their size and position would allow an intruder to reach through to the door.

Districts were required to certify compliance by August 31, 2024, with provisional certification available where a contractor was under contract with a completion timeline. Attached security window film is an accepted retrofit that addresses the requirement without replacing doors or glass.

The legislation behind it

• House Bill 3 (88th Legislature, effective September 1, 2023) — school safety requirements, armed security, active-shooter planning, and increased safety funding.
• Senate Bill 30, §4.02 — appropriated $1.1 billion for school safety and facilities.

Funding districts have used

• School Safety Standards Formula Grant (SSSFG) — formula-based (per pupil) with a $200,000 minimum per district and no cost-share; deadline extended to April 30, 2026 by TEA letter of February 6, 2025.
• Safety and Facilities Enhancement (SAFE) Grant — $800 million in Cycle 1 for districts that certified non-compliance and submitted a needs assessment.
• Local bond and maintenance funds, often paired with cooperative purchasing to move quickly.

Deadlines and cycles change; Epic tracks them and will tell you what is currently open for your district as part of a free assessment. We also prepare the documentation your grant administrator needs.

What “cannot be easily broken” means in practice

The rule does not name a product. Districts and their safety consultants have converged on attached security window film — a thick security film bonded to the glass and attached to the frame with structural silicone — because it keeps broken glass in the door or window so an intruder cannot reach through or step through on the first strikes. The film is not bulletproof, and the standard does not ask it to be. It asks that the glass not be the easy way in.

Two things determine whether a retrofit actually does that: the film (3M S2400 is the highest forced-entry-rated film in the 3M line) and the attachment installation. The common shortcut runs sealant over the factory gasket; the Epic Method removes the gasket and bonds to three surfaces. Ask any vendor which one they do — it’s the question in our buyer’s guide.

Buying without an RFP

Epic is an approved vendor on BuyBoard and TIPS. Districts purchase at contract pricing through the cooperative, which is generally accepted as satisfying competitive-procurement requirements for state grant funds (confirm with your grant administrator) and keeps the project on a safety timeline rather than a bid timeline.

Buyer beware

Epic published a “Buyer Beware” fact sheet for Texas districts after seeing security film installed without attachment, over gaskets, and by uncertified crews — on campuses that believed the job was done right. Download the Epic Method sheet and the shortcut analysis below and compare them against any quote you receive.

This page summarizes public rules and programs for convenience and is not legal advice. Confirm current requirements and deadlines with TEA and your district counsel.