Given the shortage of police forces in the state, Republican lawmakers want to arm teachers and retired police officers to enhance security in schools.
If their proposals are successful in this legislative session, there would be a total of four groups of people who would be allowed to carry weapons in schools.
The lawmakers’ efforts come against the backdrop of a nationwide enhance in school shootings and the state has not continuously invested money in closing the gaps in the civil service sector.
Not every district has a School Resource Officer or SRO — Positions typically filled by current or former law enforcement officers who perform threat monitoring duties, respond to security threats, and more. In addition, there are Prevention Resource Officers (PROs) who are funded through grants.
Politicians have said that understaffing in the state’s law enforcement agencies is contributing to the lack of police officers in schools.
“We’re facing a real dilemma and a real state of emergency when it comes to the safety of our children,” Republican Rep. David Kelly of Tyler said Wednesday. “If we don’t have enough police officers in the state … If some districts can’t afford a police officer at a school, we’re facing difficult decisions.”
Bill 4851would allow public and private schools to hire retired police officers as armed security guards. The officers would be referred to as school security officers. The House of Representatives passed the proposal after amending it: Remove training on systemic racism; the bill is now before the Senate for review.
Another measure, Bill 4299would allow teachers, administrators and support staff to carry concealed weapons on school grounds after completing a background check and training. They would be called school security officers. The bill passed the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
“Last year there were 38 school shootings in the United States. We were lucky that there were none here,” Republican Rep. Scot Heckert of Wood told lawmakers. “If we don’t do something, some of the people in this room who have children and grandchildren will never have them.”
Dr. Jim McJunkin of the West Virginia Academy of Pediatrics told lawmakers that a recent Opinion poll found that armed adults “frequently mishandle their weapons in schools.” In one case, a teacher’s loaded weapon fell out of his waistband while doing cartwheels.
McJunkin is also a Volunteer with the state chapter of Moms Demand Action.
“Yesterday’s vote is yet another example of how the gun lobby’s ‘guns everywhere’ agenda has poisoned our lawmakers’ understanding of school safety,” he said in an email. “Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens, and instead of doing something to protect our children, our lawmakers want to bring more guns into the schools where they spend most of their time.”
Democrat Evan Hansen of Monongalia voted against the bill because it would allow too many groups of people to bring weapons into schools.
“How many guns will be enough? There are other approaches that have broad support across the state … things like safe storage of firearms. Better access to mental health care and threat assessment teams in schools,” he said, adding that protecting children is one of the most critical issues adults need to address.
In recent years, House Democratic Party leader Shawn Hornbuckle has an invoice which aims to expand mental health resources in schools.
According to House Bill 4248, the pilot program would, among other things, provide mental health resources for students who have been disciplined and provide services to the families of those students.
While Legislators and the state has made some investments in children’s mental health in recent years, but not every school has a full-time counselor or a licensed social worker. Outside of school, the state has a Shortage of mental health providers for children, particularly in rural areas.
“This is a priority for me,” said Hornbuckle, a Democrat from Cabell. “Mental health has always been an issue, and we need to focus more on it. COVID has really shown that our system is capable of addressing these issues.”
His proposal did not make it onto the committee’s agenda this session, and he plans to ask House Speaker Roger Hanshaw to advocate for it.
