Most Texas district administrators know the state now expects school glass to hold up against an intruder. Fewer can say for sure whether their own entrances meet that standard, or what it would cost to close the gap. For districts weighing security window film and glazing for Texas schools, the first step is separating what the rule requires from what the grant money will actually pay for. This guide covers both, with a focus on the choices a designated security officer has to make before the funding window closes.
What Senate Bill 11 and the TEA rule actually require for glass
Many administrators trace the glazing mandate back to Senate Bill 11. That 2019 law built much of the state’s school safety framework. It created the School Safety Allotment and expanded emergency planning duties. It did not set specifications for doors or windows.
The glass requirements live in TEA’s School Safety Standards rule, 19 TAC ยง61.1031, which took effect May 31, 2023. The rule covers three kinds of openings. Exterior doors made of glass or containing glass must be built or modified so the glass cannot be easily broken to let an intruder in. Ground-level windows near exterior doors are covered when their size and position would allow someone to climb through if the glass broke. Windows next to an exterior door are also covered when a person could reach through and open the door from inside.
Openings inside an exterior secured area are exempt from these provisions. The rule names forced entry-resistant film as one example of an acceptable fix. It does not require a specific product or test rating. That leaves room for judgment, which is why careful documentation matters.
Where SAFE grant funding stands in 2026
The Safety and Facilities Enhancement (SAFE) grant came out of a $1.1 billion school safety appropriation from the 88th Legislature. TEA awarded that money in two cycles during the 2023-2024 school year. Cycle 2 alone distributed $279.5 million by formula to districts and open-enrollment charters. Private schools were not eligible.
New applications are not open. What districts have now is time. TEA extended both cycles, and the Cycle 1 period of performance runs through April 30, 2027. Amendments to Cycle 1 spending plans are due by March 1, 2027.
For most districts, qualifying today means one of two things. A district either holds an existing SAFE award and can still direct those funds toward glazing, or it needs a different source. The most common alternative is the School Safety Allotment. House Bill 2 raised it in 2025 to $20 per student in average daily attendance plus $33,540 per eligible campus.
What SAFE covers for glazing and what it does not
SAFE program guidelines require districts to spend first on minimum compliance with the School Safety Standards rule. In the Cycle 2 guidelines, that first tier lists glazing twice. Glass exterior doors not within a secured area are allowable, including forced-entry resistant film and installation materials. Ground-level exterior windows are listed the same way.
A second tier covers other allowable safety items. Districts can only spend on that tier after certifying they meet minimum compliance. Glazing that goes beyond what the rule requires, such as film on upper-floor or interior glass, will likely have to wait until that certification is in place.
Cycle 1 carried a similar condition. It was aimed at districts that had reported they were not yet compliant with the facility standards. Anything missing from the program guidelines is not covered, so the guidelines are the document to check before a bid goes out. When a line item is unclear, TEA’s Office of School Safety and Security takes questions at [email protected].
How to document existing vulnerability
A spending plan amendment is easier to defend when it rests on a clear campus inventory. Start with every exterior door. Note whether it is glass or contains glass and whether it sits inside an exterior secured area.
Then walk the ground-level windows near those doors. For each one, record the dimensions, the height from the ground, and the distance to the nearest door hardware. Those measurements answer the two questions the rule asks. Could a person climb through if the glass broke? Could a person reach through and open the door?
Photograph each opening from outside and inside. Note any existing film, its condition, and whether it is anchored to the frame. Unanchored film can hold broken glass together while the whole pane still pushes out of the frame. Keep the inventory consistent with the grant expenditure reporting your district submits through TEA’s Sentinel system, so the two records tell the same story.
Security film versus full glazing replacement
The rule lets districts either construct or modify openings to resist breakage, so both film and replacement can satisfy it. The SAFE guidelines, though, name forced-entry resistant film and installation materials under both glazing categories. For a district working within a fixed award, film is usually the more direct path to eligible spending.
Full replacement makes sense when frames are damaged, glass is already failing or a campus needs more resistance than film can provide. It costs more, takes longer, and may require design work. Confirm eligibility with TEA in writing before budgeting it as minimum compliance spending.
ASTM F3561 is the test most often cited for school security glazing. It simulates an active shooter attack, with the glass weakened by gunfire first and then struck repeatedly to measure how long the opening resists entry. Results run from Level 1 to Level 8. The test evaluates the full assembly of glass, film or interlayer, attachment and frame together. Some manufacturers test film and attachment systems under it, while others note the standard was written for complete window systems.
Texas does not require an ASTM F3561 rating. A district that asks for one is setting a higher bar for its own campuses. If a bid cites the standard, ask for the test report and confirm it matches your frame type and attachment method.
What a campus security glazing project typically costs
Pricing depends on square footage, glass condition, film thickness, and how the film is anchored. Published installed pricing for basic security film runs roughly $7 to $10 per square foot. High-performance forced entry systems with frame attachment run roughly $12 to $19 per square foot.
The inventory gives you the square footage to work from. A campus with 600 square feet of qualifying door and window glass would fall between about $4,200 and $11,400 at those rates. Campuses with storefront entries or long runs of sidelights will come in higher.
Full glass replacement costs considerably more per opening, and quotes swing widely with frame condition. Ask at least two installers to bid from the same inventory so the numbers can be compared line by line.
What to ask an installer before you commit
Start with licensing and bonding. Ask for proof of bonding, general liability insurance, and any license or registration your procurement policy requires. Confirm whether the company’s own crews will do the work. If subcontractors are involved, collect their documents too.
Next, ask about product certifications. Request the actual test reports rather than a brochure claim. Each report should name the film, the attachment method, and the frame type tested. If a bid cites ASTM F3561, ask which level was achieved and on what glass.
Then match the installation timeline to the grant calendar. Work paid with SAFE Cycle 1 funds has to fall within a period of performance ending April 30, 2027. The final expenditure report is due July 29, 2027. Ask how long the job will take, whether crews can work nights, weekends, or school breaks, and when the final invoice will be issued. Leave time for punch-list fixes and your district’s own payment process.
Finally, ask what happens after installation. Film needs periodic inspection, and anchoring can wear over time. A qualified installer should explain what to check and how often.
Building a plan before the deadline
A district with an open SAFE award and unfinished glazing work still has time, but not much. Start with the inventory and confirm which openings the rule actually covers. Price film against that list, then check each line against the program guidelines before amending the spending plan. That order keeps the project tied to compliance and keeps the budget easy to defend.
