http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5945430.html
North Texas school district will let teachers carry guns
Associated Press
Aug. 15, 2008, 4:41AM
HARROLD, Texas — A tiny Texas school district may be the
first in the nation to allow teachers and staff to pack guns for protection when
classes begin later this month, a newspaper reported.
Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District
approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed
firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting
teachers follow certain requirements.
In order for teachers and staff to carry a pistol, they
must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to
carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and hostile
situations and have to use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of
ricochet in school halls.
Superintendent David Thweatt said the small community is a
30-minute drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without
protection. He said the district's lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily
trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target.
"When the federal government started making schools
gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it
out there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like saying
'sic 'em' to a dog," Thweatt said in Friday's online edition of the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram.
Thweatt said officials researched the policy and considered
other options for about a year before approving the policy change. He said the
district also has various other security measures in place to prevent a school
shooting.
"The naysayers think (a shooting) won't happen here. If
something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them
that their child is OK because we were able to protect them," Thweatt said.
Texas law outlaws firearms on school campuses "unless
pursuant to the written regulations or written authorization of the
institution."
It was unclear how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff
members will be armed this fall because Thweatt did not disclose that
information, to keep it from students or potential attackers. Wilbarger County
Sheriff Larry Lee was out of the office Thursday and did not immediately return
a phone call seeking comment, the newspaper said.
Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association
of School Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with
such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who advises
districts nationwide, including in Texas, said Harrold is the first district
with such a policy.
The 110-student district is 150 miles northwest of Fort
Worth on the eastern end of Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border.
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On the Web:
Harrold Independent School District, http://harroldisd.net/