If it’s up to Guthrie school board member Travis Sallee, school staff will soon be carrying handguns on school property. Sallee hopes the topic will have discussion and action at the next school board meeting.
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“Until we are able to fully staff each building with security personnel, I’m not sure we have done enough,” Sallee said during board member comments at Guthrie Public School’s Board of Education meeting on Monday.
“It seems the issue has come front and center in recent years and as a father of three students a very personal one for me,” Sallee said.
Sallee praised the board and school staff for the addition of adding School Resource Officers (SRO), agreement between the school district and City of Guthrie using Guthrie police officers, but says they have not done enough.
Currently, the school district has three SRO’s with each officer responsible for two schools. The school district pays for two officers and the City of Guthrie pays for the third officer.
“I believe if we are serious about increasing school security and preparing for the unspeakable, we as a board we should utilize every tool at our disposal, including arming staff with guns,” Sallee said from a prepared document.
This past May, Gov. Mary Fallin signed House Bill 2014 permitting school boards to allow a trained employee to carry a handgun on school property.
The employee would be required to hold a security guard license or be a reserve peace officer.
Sallee encouraged fellow board members to research the topic as he will request the school board president to place the topic on the Nov. 9 school board agenda.
The only problem that I have being a former state employee is there’s been times I’d rather take my chances with the criminal. So often the people that end up armed aren’t the type of people you’d expect. If they’re stable, capable, and able to function well under stress, that’s a start. I support the notion, but until I see for myself who’s going to be packing and what is being done to make sure one of the kids doesn’t get their hands on the gun, I’d say we still have some more homework to do on the subject before we go off half cocked.