Revised Sunman-Dearborn Conceal-Carry Policy Won't Arm Classroom Teachers

The Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools Board of Trustees could vote in September to allow some school employees to carry a firearm on campus.

Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools Board of Trustees. File photo.

(St. Leon, Ind.) - The Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools Board of Trustees could vote next month to allow some school district employees – but not teachers – to carry a firearm in school.

The idea was the subject of a school board meeting in July, where more than a dozen parents and students voiced strong opposition. A handful of parents spoke favorably of arming teachers.

In a letter sent to parents Monday concerning school safety measures, superintendent Andrew Jackson says the board continues to consider the conceal-carry policy.

At their meeting on August 9, the school board gave first reading to a revised proposal with two significant changes to the policy. According to Jackson, one revision is to make teachers or instructional assistants ineligible to apply to be considered for conceal-carry permission.

“This policy applies to any Sunman-Dearborn Community School Corporation employee whose primary responsibility is nor the direct supervision of students or whose primary job location is not a classroom and has submitted an application and has been approved by the Sunman-Dearborn Community School Corporation Board of Trustees,” the draft policy now states.

Effectively, those allowed to carry could be administrators, janitors, secretaries, and other such staff who are not dealing with students in a classroom setting.

The other change is to make the specific training requirements part of a confidential administrative guideline “to allow it to become more flexible as needed”

Remaining in the revised draft are requirements for psychiatric evaluations for concealed-carry applicants, the use of frangible ammunition, and that the weapon must be carried on the person at all times and hidden from sight. The list of employees allowed to carry at school would be kept confidential. An employee’s conceal-carry authorization could be revoked by the school board at any time without the option for the employee to appeal.

The board could vote on final passage of the conceal-carry policy at their next regular monthly meeting on Thursday, September 13. The meeting will be held at East Central High School.

Only one other school district in Indiana – North White School Corporation in Monon – currently allows educators to be armed.

RELATED STORIES:

Armed Teachers Proposal Draws A Crowd To S-D School Board Meeting

Sunman-Dearborn Schools Developing Plan To Arm Some School Employees