As state legislators consider bills that would put guns in the hands of teachers, one local school board is saying, “Not in our district.”
The Sarasota County School Board has other ways to help keep its students safe.
The board Tuesday approved a resolution to ban teachers carrying guns by a 3-2 vote.
“We don’t feel that’s their job they are there to teach our students. They're not there as armed personnel,” says Caroline Zucker, board vice-chairwoman.
If teachers were armed, Zucker says, “We’re creating chaos by doing this.”
Instead, the school district will arm teachers and staff with a mobile app called the Rave Panic Button.
“It gives all employees, if they see something suspicious or may cause harm, within seconds to call for a lockdown and send an emergency notification to dial 911,” explains Tim Enos, chief of the district’s police department.
Enos says the app can help save lives.
“When it comes to these terrible incidents, they happen in a matter of minutes (and ) every second counts. I'd rather they have another tool to feel safer,” he said.
The district is adding yet another layer of security: 25 more police officers to expand the district’s police force into middle and high schools.
Enos said, “They’re the real backbone of the agency. The people we are hiring, they develop relationships with the students and parents. They know if they see something they say something … we’ll do something.”
The district’s police chief says by having its own police force the district is saving $442,000 a year.
Enos says that money will go back into services such as mental health programs to help students.
In February, the Hillsborough County School District Board passed a resolution against arming teachers.
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