Mad River Schools in Riverside will allow some teachers and staff members access to weapons during active shooter situations.
The district plans to create what it calls “armed response teams” in every school. Each team will be made up of staff members who hold concealed carry permits and are trained to respond in emergencies. Members will have access to guns hidden in safes within the school.
District officials decided to rethink their safety approach after a series of high-profile school shootings, most notably the February shooting at Madison Local Schools near Middletown.
Superintendent Chad Wyen said they examined several options before deciding on the plan, including employing a school resource police officer.
“When you have a school resource officer, you have one person typically in a building that can respond to a situation, and that person may or may not be there every single day. They may have stepped out to go get lunch and an event occurs in a school building.”
Wyen said they’re currently in the training phase of the plan, which will continue for the next year. They’ll officially implement the policy at the start of the 2017-2018 school year.