Education leaders quiet on debate to arm employees

So far, there has been little public discussion locally of a new Ohio law that will leave it up to public school boards to decide whether to arm district personnel. The law, House Bill 99, was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in June, shortly after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas, on May 24. The new rule goes into effect this fall. The law, as enacted, requires up to 24 hours of training before an employee can go armed, and up to eight hours of annual training. The training programs must be approved by the Ohio School Safety Center, and DeWine announced when he signed the bill that he's ordering the center to require the maximum 24 hours and the maximum eight hours. Schools can provide additional training if they wish, DeWine said. The Courier contacted all public school superintendents and school board presidents in Findlay-Hancock County via email this week, asking for their opinion on the new law. One school board president responded. Education leaders on the state level have also been quiet on the issue. There has been no position statement from the state associations representing either the superintendents or the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). The OSBA is promising legal advice. Both of the state teachers unions, however, came out in opposition to the law almost immediately. The response of the Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, decried the governor for signing the bill: "The Ohio Education Association (OEA) is disappointed, but not surprised by Gov. Mike DeWine's decision to sign House Bill 99 Monday, given his track record of bowing down to the gun lobby and ignoring the concerns of educators, families and law enforcement experts throughout his term as governor. House Bill 99 guts training requirements for school staff carrying guns in our classrooms and could lead to further tragedies in our schools and make them less safe." For school boards, fresh from the throes of the recent, often-contentious debates over Critical Race Theory and "Don't say gay" legislation, being left to decide whether to arm their educators may be the most publicly divisive issue yet. "These are very difficult and emotionally charged times for our country, state and school districts. At Van Buren, we are being proactive to ensure the safety of our students," said Melinda Williams, president of the Van Buren school board. Williams said the district is reviewing its security, safety systems and protocols, and board members remain focused on the mental health needs of students. "In addition, we will be discussing forming a safety committee, to be eventually, comprised of staff, board members and our stakeholders," she said. "Van Buren relies on its local law enforcement agencies and their expertise when making decisions related to school safety." Williams said the new law is also being opposed by major law enforcement groups. "Van Buren has a board-approved policy that prohibits weapons being on our campus, aside from those carried by our school resource officer," she said. "In the coming days, as a district, we will be discussing how we can continue to keep our students and staff safe, as that has always been and will continue to be our primary goal." Grant: 419-427-8413