AUSTIN, Texas — Thousands of Texas students as young as 10 were arrested or issued criminal citations at school in recent years, according to a Texas Observer investigation that raises concerns about the use of the juvenile justice system to address routine student misconduct.
Reporter Josephine Lee reviewed records from 168 school districts with unusually high out-of-school suspension rates and found nearly 8,000 arrests or citations involving children ages 10 to 12 during the 2021-22 through 2024-25 school years.
Misdemeanor assault was the most common charge, a broad offense that can include minor unwanted physical contact or verbal threats. The investigation also found Black students were arrested or cited at nearly twice their share of district enrollment.
The report highlighted cases involving bullying, students with disabilities and allegations that some schools did not adequately investigate incidents before referring children to law enforcement.
Under Texas law, juvenile courts have jurisdiction over children beginning at age 10. Bills to raise the minimum age have passed the Texas House in 2019, 2021 and 2023 but failed to advance in the Senate.
School officials said they are responsible for maintaining campus safety and enforcing the law fairly. Ector County ISD disputed how some student referrals were classified as arrests.
A federal study cited in the investigation found school arrest rates were more than twice as high at campuses with police officers compared with similar schools without them. Texas law requires school districts to provide armed security at every campus, although exceptions are permitted.
