Governor's veto might not stop schools from arming teachers

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Schools don't need a new state law to arm staff members, area superintendents are saying.

The legislation vetoed Monday by Gov. Jay Nixon could have created a template for school security programs, allowing teachers to carry guns and establishing rules about training, Poplar Bluff superintendent Chris Hon said.

Without it, schools still have options, he said.

One possibility is to have teachers licensed as security guards, Hon said. This would help fulfill insurance needs for such a program.

Poplar Bluff has been investigating this possibility for about a year. Hon had hoped Senate Bill 656 would clearly define the path for schools.

"We are still studying it and how we can do it, regardless of this law," he said Tuesday morning. "It [the veto] does not mean this can't happen."

Puxico and Neelyville districts also have considered such plans.

"I think all schools are probably looking for a way to have a quick response if something arises," said Puxico superintendent Kyle Dare. "School safety and the increase in violence is something we talk about every day. ... There is always the fear about having weapons around kids, yet at the same time, we don't want to be an open target."

The bill could have offered a little more legal standing, according to Dare, who said his district has not had formal discussions about creating such a program. The district has also considered the use of school resource officers, but has limited funding for the additional staff.

Dare said he believes this matter will be an ongoing conversation for all districts.

Every school is considering how best to protect its students, agreed Neelyville superintendent Brad Hagood.

"All of the tragedies that have happened in schools across the United States have made us ... more aware of the potential issues that could happen," he said.

Hagood said he is open to discussions of a program that would allow teachers to carry guns, but with very specific rules in place.

The employees would need to be chosen by administrators and board members, receiving extensive and continuing training, Hagood said.

"With the right training and the right people, I do think this is needed, especially for rural schools," said Hagood, who worries about how long it would take law enforcement officers to respond to his campuses because of their distance from Poplar Bluff.

Hon said he expects the matter to be back before the Poplar Bluff School Board in the next two to three months.

Security guard licensing in Missouri is done under statutes created by specific communities. The school district has been in contact with the city of Poplar Bluff about creating such a statute, Hon said.

The program also has to consider confidentiality concerns regarding who knows which district employees are allowed to carry guns, Hon said. Other considerations are what stipend the district would pay those individuals and how participants would be trained.

The program would require board approval.

"Personally, my philosophy on this changed quite a bit after Sandy Hook," said Hon, admitting before that he was against teachers carrying guns, but now is in favor of the district researching and pursuing such a plan.

A former student of the Newtown, Connecticut, school shot and killed 20 elementary school children and six adults in 2012.

The fact that it involved elementary students struck a chord, as well as the security that was in place, Hon said.

"Their building had excellent security, in how people were buzzed in and everything. It couldn't have been any better," Hon said.

Poplar Bluff wants to be sure every possibility is considered before instituting this type of plan and will continue to research the matter, Hon added.

Pertinent address:

Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Puxico, Mo.

Neelyville, Mo.