Could a small school district be the first of many to allow teachers to carry concealed handguns on the job?
Reuters reports The Board of Education School District #28 voted 3-2 in December to approve the resolution. Board President Mark McPherson voted in approval, the website reports. His decision came largely due to the district’s remote location rather than fear of a potential shooting.
“We had a board member who introduced the idea back in June who indicated he felt the need for this because of the distance and response time (from law enforcement) as well as all the (potential) trouble from marijuana growers,” McPherson told Reuters.
Though McPherson denied concern of a possible shooting, the website reports the resolution includes “in light of recent events nationally.”
With the newly approved resolution, any teacher or staff member with a concealed-carry permit can volunteer for extra duty as a security guard. All employees must complete training before bringing his or her gun to campus, Reuters reports.
McPherson told the site he’s not sure how many of the 20 or so total teachers will sign up. The resolution, however, did not set a maximum limit for participants. Hanover School District #28 includes one elementary school and a combined junior and senior high school, totaling 245 students.