Reflector readers split on guns in school

NORWALK — Are you in favor of teachers and administrators having guns in school? The Norwalk Reflector asked that question of its readers, and it was almost dead even when the more than 1,000 votes were cast in the non-scientific poll. Here are the results: 25 percent: Yes. They should be doing it now. 21 percent: Yes. But only a few and with a lot of training. 52 percent: Never. 2 percent: No opinion. Total number of votes: 1,236 (as of Tuesday afternoon). Ohio school districts could begin arming employees as soon as this fall under a bill signed into law Monday by GOP Gov. Mike DeWine. 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 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. Before announcing the bill signing, the governor outlined several other school safety measures he and lawmakers have promoted, including $100 million for school security upgrades in schools and $5 million for upgrades at colleges. The state is also adding 28 employees to the school safety center to work with districts on safety issues and to provide training under the new law. Ohio has also provided $1.2 billion in wellness funding for schools to address mental health and other issues, the governor said. "I can tell you I recently received something from the Diocese," said Martin Linder, president of Norwalk Catholic School. "They are asking schools to wait until everything is finished. When it comes to something like this we go with their recommendations. "That being said, I will be engaging different people about school safety in general," he added. "Training we can do. It is a multi-tiered approach. You have to be both welcoming and secure. I have had talks with people and walked around the campus talking about how we can make school more safe. "In the old days you didn't think about things like this ... more and more it's at the forefront of what can we do to keep people safe." Linder said the summer months is a good time for such reviews. "These include fire drills and tornado ... all of it," he said. "What are we doing for lockdowns and all of it. I think we are very blessed in our county, specifically in Norwalk, everyone is willing to come in and give you their expertise. "A tribute to our community and the ability to work together. All of the safety services are taking this very seriously." Norwalk City Schools Superintendent Brad Cooley said it's too early to be making any big decisions. "Our board has not discussed this particular item," he said. "Overall, from the bigger perspective, I like local control and we can make better decisions. Law enforcement is our best option. "I am not making a snap decision. That can be looked at. Very controversial. I am not here today saying that would not fit. In some instances it could fit. We are blessed with the sheriff right here and the police down the street. We kind have that built in." Cooley said when he was high school principal he had then-police chief Mike Conney come into the high school for drills and to get a feel for the layout of the school. School safety has always been a priority, Cooley said. Nothing, Cooley said, is off the table. "In the big scheme of things I will explore all options, even if they are controversial," he said. "This will be an item of discussion. From locked doors to our camera system. "In the worst case you are better with a live human there to stop that carnage. ... This has to be considered. A good person with a gun is a good thing." The new law "is giving schools an option, based on their particular circumstances, to make the best decision they can make with the best information they have," DeWine said. The governor said his preference remains that school districts hire armed school resource officers, but said the law is another tool for districts that want to protect children. He emphasized that it's optional, not a requirement. The signing came the same day a new law went into effect making a concealed weapons permit optional for those legally allowed to carry a weapon. The Ohio Education Association decries Gov. DeWine's failure to stand up to gun lobby, address school safety concerns, it said in a release. "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, the release said. "House Bill 99 (HB 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. "Our students and educators need to be in safe environments where they can focus on teaching and learning, not on the threat of having unprepared, woefully undertrained people—regardless of their good intentions — making split-second life-or-death decisions about whether to pull the trigger in a chaotic classroom full of innocent bystanders. It would take hundreds of hours of training and firearms practice to be ready for those situations; Governor DeWine says he's fine with just 24 hours of instruction," said OEA President Scott DiMauro. "It's absurd." OEA members have been clear that they do not want to be in the dual role of educating students and serving as armed security guards. Ohio's educators should be trusted to do the jobs they've gone through years of training to do; instead, they're being asked to shoulder the burden of potentially shooting one of their own students with just a few days of training, the release said. "DeWine's decision to sign this dangerous legislation on the same day that Ohio's new law allowing just about anyone to carry a concealed weapon with zero training takes effect truly shows where his priorities lie," DiMauro said. The Associated Press contributed to this story.