# Texas school police referrals surge

> Texas school police referrals for kids 10-13 up 30% since 2014.
- Title: Texas school police referrals surge · Texastribune | Shortify
- Summary: Texas school police referrals for kids 10-13 up 30% since 2014. Texas school police referrals for children aged 10-13 increased by 30% since 2014, with 4,800…
- Keywords: texas, school police, referrals, juvenile justice, students, el paso, harris middle school, uvalde shooting, news, local, school, police
- Source: Texastribune — https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/16799/17500043/needs-to-be-like-this-no-spaces-short-2
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: texas, school police, referrals, juvenile justice, students, el paso, harris middle school, uvalde shooting, news, local
## Texas school police referrals
Texas school districts increased police officers in classrooms over the past decade to address misbehavior.
## Referrals for kids 10-13
Children ages 10 to 13 were referred for prosecution 47,000 times since 2014, with 4,800 referrals in 2024-25.
## Minor offenses
Most students accused of threats, cannabis vapes, or lashing out at classmates or teachers.
## El Paso incident
A 10-year-old kicked an assistant principal after his cellphone was taken away.
## Family impact
The boy's mother faced thousands in legal bills and his grades dropped due to anxiety.
## School district response
Schools claim they are committed to safe and inclusive learning environments.

> committed to maintaining safe and inclusive learning environments for all students
## Juvenile judge opinion
A judge says many cases could have been handled by school principals.
## School-to-prison pipeline
Referrals linked to future law enforcement contact and academic harm.
## Statewide impact
Referrals for young children grew faster than student population, reversing progress on school-to-prison pipeline.
## Key takeaway

Texas school police referrals for children aged 10-13 increased by 30% since 2014, with 4,800 referrals in 2024-25 alone.