Texas school policing surge sends thousands of pre-teens into juvenile courts

A decade-long increase in school-based policing across Texas has led to more than 47,000 referrals of students aged 10 to 13 to the juvenile justice system, according to a joint investigation. The 2024-25 academic year saw roughly 4,800 referrals, a 33% rise from ten years prior, driven largely by minor offenses like vaping, false threat reports and classroom misbehavior. Incidents such as an 11-year-old being handcuffed after refusing to leave a hallway or a 10-year-old’s fabricated weapon claim illustrate how quickly police become involved.

While some districts argue the presence of officers deters violence after the Uvalde tragedy, judges and educators say many cases could be resolved by school staff, warning that arrests harm academic outcomes and perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline. Racial disparities persist, with Black children referred at about twice the rate of white and Hispanic peers. A handful of districts have begun scaling back arrests, showing that policy shifts can reduce referrals without compromising safety.