Evant ISD welcomes Deputy Franklin to boost campus safety and trust

Evant ISD has added a new visible layer of campus security with Deputy Franklin, a Coryell County Sheriff’s Office deputy assigned to the district to support students, staff and the school climate at the same time.

The district announced Franklin on April 9, saying the role is meant to do more than stand watch at the door. Evant ISD said the new community safety officer will help build stronger connections inside the school community, giving the district a familiar law-enforcement presence that can also strengthen trust and open communication on campus.

Franklin said she wants to serve with integrity, professionalism, accountability and a high standard of conduct on and off duty. She also said she hopes to protect students while serving as a mentor and role model, a description that shows the district is treating the assignment as part safety post, part student-support role.

The move matters in Evant, a small Coryell County town with a population in the roughly 450 to 500 range. In a district that size, one deputy’s regular presence can shape how students, parents and staff experience school each day, from morning arrivals to quick responses when a problem needs a law-enforcement eye.

Evant ISD already has a Safety & Security Committee listed on its public-information page, with meeting agendas and minutes dated Nov. 16, 2024, June 9, 2025 and Sept. 30, 2025. The district’s board page also shows current trustees and a 2025-2026 approved budget, signaling that campus safety is part of its ongoing planning, not a one-time personnel announcement.

The deputy assignment also fits with the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office mission to improve quality of life through professional services and community partnerships. That language mirrors the district’s emphasis on relationships, especially in a rural setting where school officials often rely on county partners for extra protection and faster coordination.

The addition comes after earlier public discussion about expanding law-enforcement presence in rural Evant and Oglesby schools through a public-safety deputy model. That push reflected a practical problem for smaller districts: many cannot afford to keep a resource officer or armed security guard on campus full time. Franklin’s assignment now gives Evant ISD a deputy tied directly to that gap, with the expectation that safety and familiarity will move together on campus.