A newly-implemented Ohio law provides an exception for school workers to carry guns on campus with the local school governing body's approval.
House Bill 99, which took effect on Monday, "permits a school district board or school governing body to adopt alternate curriculum, instruction, and training ... that individuals may complete to qualify for the exception to convey deadly weapons or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone."
Persons seeking approval from the school's governing body to carry a firearm on campus must either complete the new training curriculum under the act, "receive a certificate of satisfactory completion of an approved basic peace officer training program," or already be a law enforcement officer. Such persons would also be required to submit an annual criminal records check.
The school's governing body would also be required to "notify the public, by whatever means it regularly communicates with the public, if it has authorized one or more persons to go armed within the school."
"My office worked with the General Assembly to remove hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety and to ensure training requirements were specific to a school environment and contained significant scenario-based training," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in June. "House Bill 99 accomplishes these goals, and I thank the General Assembly for passing this bill to protect Ohio children and teachers."
Some school districts voted to oppose the exceptions allowed by the new law, including Akron Public Schools, Beachwood City Schools, the Cleveland Municipal School Board, and Cincinnati-area schools.
"We, therefore, stand united in calling for common-sense solutions to keep schools safe and opposing arming school staff," the Akron Public School board announced. "We support the board's resolution and policy changes aimed at keeping our schools safe by refusing to use the option that this new law offers. By doing so, we are keeping our focus on providing the highest quality education to all of our scholars."
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