McKenna Oxenden

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin high school students would learn how to handle a range of guns — from handguns to rifles — as an elective class under a state Assembly bill introduced last week.

Rep. Ken Skowronski (R-Franklin) is the lead sponsor of the bill, which would allow schools to offer on-site gun education classes. Its purpose is to promote gun safety and to boost participation in trap shooting, he said.

The bill would not change a current law that prohibits live ammunition and its use on school property.

The bill would not require schools to offer a class. If they did, students would not have to take it. However, the bill would require school superintendents to develop curricula.

"What we’re doing is allowing the high schools to offer an elective as a choice," Skowronski said. "It can be yearlong, a quarter or a semester. It's up to the school."

Under the bill, curriculum development must be done in conjunction with either the Department of Natural Resources, a law enforcement agency or an organization that specializes in firearm safety or certification of firearms.

The bill also would require the classes to be taught by people who have proof of previous training in firearm safety. If the bill passes before school starts in the fall, districts would need to provide the curriculum for the 2017-'18 year.

Skowronski was inspired to present the bill not only because he's been shooting guns since he was 12 but also because he believes there has been a rise in trap shooting clubs in Wisconsin. Trap shooting involves trying to hit clay targets fired into the air.

The bill had 23 Assembly co-sponsors as of last week.

School superintendents across the state expressed concerns about the proposal.

Fran Finco, superintendent at the Onalaska School District, said despite being a gun owner and hunter, he doesn't see a need for such a class in schools.

"While I believe hunter safety and gun education is important ... one more unfunded requirement to teach something in our schools is not necessary, nor would we have time to fit it into our curriculum without dropping something else," he said.

River Ridge School District in southwestern Wisconsin already has a trap shooting club, according to Superintendent Jeff Athey. About 10 students participated last year.

Athey is happy students can learn how to properly use guns, but at the end of the day, the club is optional and meets off school property.

"That’s a safety concern," he said of allowing even unloaded guns in schools. "I would be one of those who concur that guns should not be allowed on school premises, period."

State Rep. Sondy Pope(D-Mt. Horeb), said if students want to learn about gun safety, it should be elsewhere because it is not the responsibility of the school district.

What's more, handguns are not used for hunting or trap shooting.

"I know Wisconsin is a hunting state," she said. "I grew up in a hunting family, but I think it denotes something completely different, especially with handguns, in an urban setting."

The Kettle Moraine School District also has a trap shooting club, but trains its students outside school.

"I do not see a need to offer this type of training as part of a student's instructional day," said Superintendent Patricia F. Deklotz. "We have successfully offered gun safety training as part of our community education offerings for many, many years."

Skowronski believes trap shooting should be viewed like any other sport at school. Not only does it teach safety and responsibility but it is also fun, just like attending a baseball game, he said.

However, he agrees if students want to learn how to load and shoot guns, that would have to happen outside school hours at a local shooting range.



"Classroom education is important but it’s experiencing that activity that is also important," he said.

There are no plans to publicly fund the shooting range portion of students' gun safety education, such as how to handle ammunition, according to Skowronski.

But he said he was almost positive sponsors and professionals would step up.

Pope doesn't want public time and money spent on gun education. Those resources would be better spent in other academic areas such as improving reading or financial literacy, she said.

"I think we are all aware of the proliferation of death and injury because of the accessibility of guns in our society," Pope said. "I don’t see a reason to introduce guns to students in school. I think it's inappropriate."