Dear Parent or Guardian: 

Texas Education Code 37.222 now mandates that all school districts distribute information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms. The Texas School Safety Center information listed below will help you learn about options for, as well as how to talk to your child and others about, the safe storage of firearms. 

In the future, all State mandated parental information as well as parent support resources will be posted at the Navarro ISD Aware Family Information Center which can be found at Aware Family Information Center.  This is an ongoing repository for state mandated resources as well as other helpful resources for parents.  Please continue to check back often as we will continually update information available on the site in the future.

Sincerely, 

Robby Castillo 

Director of Safety and Operations

Navarro ISD

Texas School Safety Center information on Safe Gun Storage:

In 2021, 4,613 Texans experienced gun-related deaths. The Texas Department of State Health Services (SHS) reports that 55% of Texas firearms deaths in 2020 were suicides and that 59% of all suicides in Texas were by firearms. Suicide attempts involving firearms have a 90% fatality rate. Restricting access to guns is critical in reducing acts of violence, whether as self-harm or towards others. Acts of mass violence and interpersonal violence often end in suicide. 

It is unlawful to store, transport, or abandon an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to be and can obtain access to the firearm. Under Texas Penal Code 46.13, a person commits the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child if the child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm, and the person with criminal negligence: 

● Failed to secure the firearm; or 

● Left the firearm in a place to which the person knew or should have known the child would gain access. 

The penalty for allowing a child access to a firearm can range from a Class C misdemeanor (punishable by a $500 fine) to a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by a $4000 fine, a year in jail, or a combination of the two). 

Texas exempts the purchase of firearm safety equipment from Texas Sales and Use Tax. 

Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com. 

Safe gun storage is critical to preventing suicide, unintentional shootings, and other tragedies.