A Pennsylvania superintendent wasted no time when news of Adam Lanza hit the airwaves, Superintendent Mike Strutt was on the phone with Butler County School Board President Don ­Pringle that same day, reports Eli Saslow of the Washington Post.

In a matter of days, they got permission and funds for 22 full-time former state troopers to stand as guards in their district — despite running at deficit spending and skeletal staff.

The troopers, who all had to have 20 years active service, carry firearms and search students who set off the metal detector.

From the Washington Post:

In came a girl, 10, carrying her backpack through the metal detector, which set off the alarm. “I’m sorry,” she said. She handed [the guard] her pink binder and her lunch bag. He opened it and sifted through the contents inside. String cheese. Goldfish crackers. Chocolate milk. “Looks good,” he said, handing the bag back to the girl. “Looks tasty.”

This bizarre scenario could be the way of the future.

As one of the school guards wondered: Was he protecting kids’ environment or changing it?

California Democrat Barbara Boxer recently introduced a proposal to Barack Obama to get federal funds for armed school security guards — and if you thought the local version of armed guards in schools was bizarre, then wait till you see what would effectively be a Transportation Security Agency for kids.

There are even reports out now that say the White House is considering such a plan, along with an assault weapons ban and universal background checks.

Even as NRA president Wayne Lapierre recommends armed guards in schools, however, it is not clear that armed guards are even effective. After all, there were police officers at Columbine and Virginia Tech and the Aurora movie theater and the scenes of various other mass shootings.