BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS ANGEL GUARDIANS SECURITY PLAN
The Brenham School Board voted five to two to reject the Angel Guardians school security plan at their meeting last (Monday) night.
The proposal would put an armed professional on each of the district’s campuses with the hope of ensuring that a mass school shooting, such as the one at Newtown, Connecticut last December from ever happening here.
The vote came after nearly a year of discussions, workshops and debates on the merits of the plan.
The strongest advocate for the program was developer and gun rights advocate John Deans. He called the vote ‘unfortunate’ and said the decision would keep ‘our school children at risk of active shooters since our policy is ‘run, hide and cower.’ Deans said there was support for the Angel Guardians program throughout the district and the community..'
There were several voices of opposition to the plan, including teachers who said they supported the second amendment to the Constitution. One called for better secured schools while another teacher said her students had good questions and said there was nothing in the plan that said what would happened to the students while their teacher is taking up arms in a active shooter situation.
Herb Foelber told the board that teachers should be ‘armed with books and computers, not guns.
Board Member Ray Weiss made the motion for the district to adopt the plan and he was seconded by Dr. Donald Draehn. It soon became clear that most of the Board was not going to favor the program. Trustee Marshall Harrell said the proposal would go too far. Board Member Tommie Sullivan said he couldn’t imagine a teacher leaving their students during a shooting incident.
Weiss and Board Member Dr. Donald Draehn were the only votes in favor of the plan. Board President Melvin Ehlert voted against the plan, along with Board Secretary Natalie Lange, and Board members Marshal Harrell and Susan Jenkins.
Weiss then offered alternative security measures that would begin being implemented in the spring semester. This plan would put aside $75,000 for off duty police officers, have consulting engineers LAN And Associates do a walk through of all the campuses to see how they can be made safer, and consider metal detectors.
What is the answer to this problem of school shootings? Perhaps more parents should be aware of what their child is going through or capable of. How many of us say “not my child”? I truly believe that fighting gun violence with a gun is the way to go, but that is a reaction to the problem. Let us all start being proactive. Stop the shooter before he ever enters the school. Teach our kids to tell us their problems and to tell others. Stop the secrets!!!
I sure hope and pray that nothing happens like a crazed shooter at any of the schools. That being said I hope the people that voted against this, can live with themselves if something was to happen. You can’t stop a person with a gun with anything less than a gun.
What the school board is thinking is beyond me as a taxpayer of this district this is money wasted paying off duty police officer 30.00 dollars and hour for off duty work is ridiculous by the way that is what they charge for football games and other events if the did not want to spend money on the guardian plan why spend on the officers to stand around and do nothing like they do at sporting events? I hope more
Taxpayers other than me speak up against this waste of taxpayer money!!!!