Guns in schools: Martin County board says only trained law enforcement officers can carry firearms

MARTIN COUNTY — Students and teachers on Tuesday urged School Board members to disavow a new state law clearing some educators to carry guns on campus.

They listened.

The board voted 4-1 to allow only trained law-enforcement officers to carry firearms in Martin County schools. Only board member Rebecca Negron voted no, saying she trusts Sheriff William Snyder to train school staff members to add an extra layer of security on campuses.

“I think we should at least consider working with our sheriff to develop a program that would be a good fit for Martin County,” Negron said.

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State lawmakers in March passed the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program as part of legislation to strengthen school security after a gunman killed 17 people Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

The program gives sheriffs authority to deputize non-teaching employees, as well as teachers with law-enforcement or military backgrounds.

Guardians must complete an array of training including 132 hours in firearm proficiency and eight-hour modules preparing for active shooters, discretionary shooting and defensive tactics, according to the statute.

Sheriffs do the training, with $67 million provided to pay for it this year.

Participating staff members receive a one-time $500 stipend.

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Numerous school districts — including St. Lucie, Duval and Pinellas counties — already have rejected the program, which supporters tout as a less-expensive deterrent to school shootings than hiring additional officers.

The Sheriff's Office has yet to have a formal discussion with the School Board about the guardian program, but one is set for early April, Snyder said Tuesday.

Snyder said he would support whatever decision the board made. If they had chosen to arm staff members, however, Snyder said he would involve both teachers and parents before making a final decision.

"I can move to any position the School Board wishes as long as the people of Martin County support it," Snyder told TCPalm Tuesday, prior to the School Board meeting.

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Teachers and students on Tuesday spoke against the guardian program, saying more guns in schools only would complicate the job of law enforcement. They bashed the $500 stipend and argued the program only would add more to the plate of teachers and other employees.

“It is more imperative now than ever before that we choose common sense, that we choose to listen to statistics and logistics and understand the complexity and dangers the arming of educators entails regardless of their background,” said Rachel Maunus, a senior at Martin County High School.

“I ask that you listen to the victims and teachers as well as the students you represent.”

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Board members agreed, saying school districts need to focus on education.

“I can’t imagine handing these police officers $500 and giving them 132 hours of training on how to educate kids,” said board member Tina McSoley. “It’s an insult to teachers, it’s an insult to police officers, that they in Tallahassee think I can do their jobs."

The audience cheered when the board voted against the guardian program, but its decision also means paying for additional school deputies is up to the district.

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The same new law that creates the guardian program calls for a school resource officer in every school. It will cost at least $2.2 million to make that happen in Martin County, Snyder said.

Every Martin County school now has a deputy assigned. Deputies previously patrolled elementary schools but were not assigned to specific buildings.

Until the school district chips in more for security, the Sheriff's Office will reassign narcotics detectives and special-operations deputies as school resource officers, Snyder said.

"We've robbed everybody to staff the schools," Snyder said.

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