Arming School Personnel Study explores impact on health, safety of students, school personnel, communities
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of an effort by the League of Women Voters of Ohio to establish a position on arming school personnel. The study covers the risk of harm to students, school personnel, and communities; mishandling of firearms; training; cost; accountability; and liability. The LWV Ohio thanks you in advance for participating in the consensus process to develop a position on Arming School Personnel. Legislative bills have already been before the General Assembly, and media articles have been appearing with more frequency on this issue. Having a position will allow Leagues to speak on the many facets of the issue at both the state and local levels.
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STUDY & CONSENSUS
- A study is a League process to prepare for a consensus meeting by the members of the League of Women Voters of Kent. Leagues across Ohio will be participating in the same study and consensus.
- Once a League has studied a topic, the membership meets to discuss and come to consensus on a set of questions that will become a "position," a set of principles on which a League can take action on national, state or local levels. This study applies to the state and local levels.
- The Arming School Personnel Study (ASPS) Committee has organized the Kent study with a series of surveys accompanied by research that will be rolled out in this email communication every other Sunday from now until March 14. (All of the research and links to the surveys are now also available on this website page.) The committee will use the survey results to guide the consensus meeting discussions.
- A consensus meeting is scheduled for March 18, 2021, 7 p.m. Information to attend the Zoom meeting will be provided in upcoming communications.
- All responses are anonymous.
- Deadline to submit surveys is March 17.
AN ONLINE STUDY EXPERIENCE
At the March 18 meeting, we will be discuss the five topics outlined on this webpage and attempt to come to consensus. The topics are as follows:
- Decision Making
- Cost and Liability
- Armed Personnel, Checks and Training
- Storage
- Perceptions of Safety
To facilitate discussions and allow us to cover lots of information in the March 18 session, the committee will be sending out via our email newsletter materials to help you prepare. You can also find the material in its entirety on this website page, beginning with the list immediately below that will introduce the topic of arming school personnel. Click on the titles below to view the materials:
- Summary of Research on the School Environment
- Vocabulary
- Bibliography
Introductory PowerPoint presentation from Jan. 12 meeting
As in the emails, you will find introductions, most relevant references and a short electronic survey (Survey Monkey) for each of the topics on this webpage. All five topics can be found on this page, though the information went out in segments via email. Yes, you will be digging deep into this topic with all of the work that the committee has compiled! We appreciate your participation!
MULTIPLE WAYS TO EASE INTO THE STUDY OR GET IT DONE ALL AT ONCE!
Need the materials printed? Request paper copies of the materials or, if you have questions, contact: Debbie Barber, ASPS Committee Chair. She can be reached at 330-221-1205 or dbarber [at] kent.edu.
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ABOUT SURVEY MONKEY
Please note that the survey monkey response does not constitute a vote nor does it contribute to the consensus. It will be used as a tool to help the committee in conducting the consensus meeting. Your voice at the meeting makes all the difference in a meaningful and powerful result.
DEADLILNE TO SUBMIT ALL SURVEYS IS MARCH 17.
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ARMING SCHOOL PERSONNEL STUDY TOPICS
TOPIC 1: DECISION MAKING (Questions 1-3)
This topic has been broken down into three primary questions:
- What role should the state play?
- How should the decision be made by each school district, and what level of transparency should there be regarding this decision?
- Within each community, who should have a say in whether to arm school employees?
Concerns to consider when reviewing the research include the following:
- The impact of these decisions on such issues as the placement of both the burden of expense and legal liability
- The existence of sufficient laws to serve as a foundation for creating school policies for arming district employees
- The potential for divisiveness within the community regarding what decisions are made and how they are made
Recommended Resources: Click 
here.
Take the Survey: TOPIC 1 SURVEY
TOPIC 2: COST AND LIABILITY (Questions 4 & 5)
Funding for armed school personnel includes money for training, weapons and ammunition, storage, maintenance, and liability. Funding is impacted by interpretation of state and federal laws, stances of professional organizations, political orientation, and beliefs of special-interest groups.
This topic has been broken down into two primary questions:
4. If a district decided to arm school personnel, doing so would incur significant cost, including implementation, equipment, training, liability, and maintenance. How should this be funded?
A. The cost should come out of the current budget.
B. A levy should occur to provide additional resources.
C. School districts should seek private funding.
D. The state government should provide funding.
E. The federal government should provide funding.
F. Funding should be a combination of federal and state.
G. The cost should be shared with the community law enforcement agencies.
H. Approved armed school personnel should cover their own costs.
I. Arming school personnel should not be permitted.
5. Who should be held legally liable for armed school personnel?
A. School District Administrators
B. School Board
C. Armed School Personnel
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
Recommended Resources: Click here.
Take the Survey: TOPIC 2 SURVEY
TOPIC 3: ARMED PERSONNEL, CHECKS AND TRAINING (Questions 6 & 7)
Arming of teachers and school staff is explicitly permitted in five (5) states and permitted under certain circumstances in twenty-six (26) states. In Ohio, local school districts decide. There is no standard training for armed teachers and no federal guidelines to help states or local districts to create policies.
This topic has been broken down into two primary questions:
6. The school personnel who will be armed should meet which of the following?
A. A full background check (history of violence, substance abuse history, mental health history, physical health history and criminal activity)
B. A concealed carry permit.
C. Approval by the superintendent in coordination with the Chief of Police
D. School personnel will take on-going training.
E. Self-identified volunteer employed by the school.
F. Arming school personnel should not be permitted.
7. Who should determine the firearm training requirements (such as frequency, length, content, certification, trainer qualifications, and continuing education) for the training of armed school personnel?
A. State governments should mandate the requirements for training programs.
B. Appropriate state law enforcement agencies
C. Individual school districts
D. Arming school personnel should not be permitted.
Recommended Resources: Click here.
Take the Survey: TOPIC 3 SURVEY
TOPIC 4: STORAGE (Questions 8 & 9)
In thinking about the storage of firearms for armed school personnel, there are two major areas of consideration:
- How to store guns and ammunition
- Consequences of student access to armed school personnel’s firearms
There are multiple options for storage of firearms in a school setting. It is important to consider the implications of each option for preventing accidental discharge versus allowing for quick response time. Options include keeping weapons locked or unlocked, loaded or unloaded, and stored in one location with or without the ammunition.
As you consider the possibilities of students gaining access to guns of armed school personnel that accompany the various storage options, it is important to know what research indicates about the consequences of student access to firearms.
This topic has been broken down into two primary questions:
8. Gun storage and management in a school setting is a complex process. What is the safest way to store/manage guns for armed school personnel?
A. Guns are to be locked, unloaded, and stored in a locked gun safe. Ammunition to be stored in a separate locked safe.
B. Guns should be stored in a locked storage safe but may be loaded.
C. Schools should utilize biometric lock boxes for loaded guns and store them in the classroom.
D. Schools should use Smart Guns to be used by specified armed personnel.
E. The school personnel carry the loaded gun on their person at all times.
F. Arming school personnel should not be permitted.
9. Regarding students having access to armed school personnel’s firearm, with which statements do you agree?
A. Students are curious and will likely be tempted to explore guns.
B. Students can be taught appropriate gun safety practices.
C. When guns are present, there is a higher risk of students being injured or killed with a gun.
D. Guns should be hidden so students do not know guns are present in the schools.
E. Arming school personnel should not be permitted.
Recommended Resources: Click here.
Take the Survey: TOPIC 4 SURVEY
TOPIC 5: PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY (Questions 10-13)
Little research has been done regarding whether the measures discussed in this consensus project provide safety and whether the students and teachers perceive that the measures create a safer environment. The following questions are difficult to answer. The physical safety and psychological safety of the children need to be addressed when discussing arming school personnel. There are relatively few studies and surveys about how students and teachers view arming school personnel.
This topic has been broken down into three primary questions:
10. Given that the new lockdown drills and additional measures schools are already in use, with which statements do you agree?
A. Having armed school personnel armed causes excess trauma for children.
B. Having armed school personnel armed makes students feel safer.
C. Having armed police/resource officers has already caused trauma for students.
D. Having armed police/resource officers makes students feel safe.
E. Arming personnel, whether teachers or safety officers, will not change the climate that has been created by the number of mass shootings.
F. Arming school personnel should not be permitted.
11. How does the presence of armed school personnel affect students of color?
A. Makes students of color fearful that s/he is more likely to be mistaken for an aggressor or active shooter than white students.
B. Makes students of color feel safer.
C. Makes students of color feel less safe.
D. Arming school personnel has no effect on the perceptions of students of color regarding their safety.
12. Which would create a healthier and safer environment for students and school personnel?
A. Creating and monitoring the safety measures related to the building design.
B. Adding mental health resources.
C. Providing Active Shooter Training for students and school personnel
D. Educating students and school personnel about violence prevention in schools.
E. Arming the Security Resource Officer
F. Arming school personnel
13. This topic has one summary question: With which statement do you most agree regarding the arming of school personnel?
A. Arming school personnel creates a healthier and safer environment.
B. Arming school personnel creates a less healthy and safe environment.
C. Arming school personnel does not affect the health and safety of the environment.
D. Arming school personnel should not be permitted
Recommended Resources: Click here.
Take the Survey: TOPIC 5 SURVEY
RATE THE STUDY PROCESS, PLEASE.
After you have completed the five topics, click here to evaluate the process. Thank you in advance.
Contact LWV Kent at lwvkent [at] gmail.com.
Interested in working on a committee or serving on the LWVK board? Click here to see how you can participate.