BURTON TRUSTEES APPROVE PLAN ALLOWING EMPLOYEES TO POSSESS FIREARMS
The Burton school board will soon allow district employees to carry handguns on school grounds.
At their meeting on August 13th, the board approved changes to board policies and authorized a Guardian Plan, which will allow certain employees to possess firearms while on school property. This also applies to school-sponsored or school-related events.
Superintendent Dr. Edna Kennedy says this new security measure is meant to address concerns about emergency response times to situations at the school.
The Burton board will approve specifically authorized employees that possess licenses and training to carry weaponry. The board will also determine if any additional specialized training is required for the employee. The district’s Emergency Operations Plan states no position of employment with the district will be required to participate in the program.
The plan says employees can lose authorization if they are put on administrative leave or they lose employment with the district, for whatever reason. In addition, the superintendent has authority to remove authorization from an employee at any time.
The district’s budget will fund the program, but Kennedy said the board will look for state grants. The program will be put into place this school year, once the board decides on all relevant safety and security protocols.
The board did not hold public hearings on the safety measure. Since discussion of this item was held in executive session, Kennedy offered no additional information on which training or security measures were being considered.