MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — Manor Independent School District will kick off the 2022-23 school year with new security improvements from a $280 million bond passed by voters.

“We installed doorbell cameras for every school and every campus,” said Superintendent Andre Spencer.

The security upgrades mean front office staff will monitor and control who is allowed in and out of the school.

“Once they enter into the facility, every campus has a secured vestibule, so no one will be able to go beyond the vestibule until we allow them entry,” said Spencer.

As an extra security measure, Manor ISD also added more school resource officers to its police force which formed in 2020. Now the Manor ISD Police Department will have 13 officers including the new police chief.

There are some challenges facing MISD, said Spencer. “The teacher shortage and staff shortage in education is a huge challenge for us,” he said.

A few days before the start of school, Manor ISD had at least 75 teacher positions unfilled.

“I don’t know of any district in the country that doesn’t have vacancies at this moment. Not to say there are none, but many of us are in the same boat. We have vacancies we are trying to fill.”

Spencer said one way the district is addressing the problem is by recruiting international teachers.

“We have this year 100-plus international teachers that are coming to Manor ISD, which has really helped with the teacher shortage.”

Spencer said the school district is also offering local certification to fill the teacher shortage.

“We continue to work through innovated structures and measures to make sure our scholars have access to the best educational process ever.”

The first day of class for Manor ISD is Monday.