No decision will be made at this time regarding whether to permit appropriately trained New Richmond Schools teachers/staff to carry firearms in school.
In a Board update, Superintendent Tracey Miller shared that the state does not yet have the infrastructure in place to support the arming of teachers/staff. Mr. Miller’s comments were based on information he received during recent meetings he attended in Columbus.
Mr. Miller also provided results from two surveys recently conducted by New Richmond Schools (one of teachers/staff and the other of district families ) regarding firearms in schools. In both surveys, respondents favored permitting teachers/staff to carry guns in school after being properly trained.
You can see the results of the teacher/staff survey here: https://bit.ly/3S5Mzwp
Results of the families survey are available here: https://bit.ly/3eLILmp
This was the fourth consecutive month the Board has discussed arming teachers/staff. The discussion first surfaced during the July Board of Education meeting after Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 99, allowing school boards to determine whether to arm school staff. The bill requires that school employees must have a minimum of 24 hours of training before they can carry firearms on school grounds.
Since the initial discussion, district administrators and Board Members have spent time investigating the pros and cons of arming teachers/staff, including consulting with legal counsel and the district’s insurance provider.
During the August Superintendent’s Safety Committee meeting attendees, including local first responders and district administrators, weighed in. School administrators expressed opposition to arming teachers and staff. First responders were open to the idea but with caveats including more than 24 hours of training, a thorough mental health evaluation, and the establishment of prescriptive rules.
The Board of Education is expected to take up the topic again in the future after the state finalizes its guidance and expectations.
You can watch the discussion on the topic here: https://youtu.be/_ueKDr2SwLU?t=1301