Starting in September, around 50 Lee County teachers will begin carrying concealed firearms at school.
In early July, the Lee County School Board became the first Virginia board to approve a plan to let school teachers carry guns. The proposal, a response to recent school shootings around the country, would allow a select number of teachers to carry concealed pistols on school grounds as long as they pass a background check, psychological evaluation, and summer training course.
The Lee County School District includes 11 schools and serves approximately 3,200 students. Officials expect that out of the district's 700 teachers and staff, around 50 will opt to begin the training.
Lee County sits in the southwestern-most corner of the Commonwealth, literally sandwiched in between Kentucky and North Carolina. Supporters of the district's new plan argue that because the county is so rural, police response times are high, and armed teachers and staffers are necessary to prevent and combat school shootings. They also say that they do not have room in their school or police budgets to pay for dedicated law enforcement at the schools and that this is the only way to prepare the schools in case of potential threats.
Opponents argue -- and rightly so -- that Virginia law specifically prohibits teachers from carrying guns in schools. While there are statutory exemptions for law enforcement personnel, Virginia does not allow regular citizens to carry firearms on school property.
The Lee County School Board, however, believes they have found a "loophole," so-to-speak. Once teachers and school staff members pass all of their tests and training, they will be formally sworn in as "Conservators of the Peace."
A Conservator of the Peace, under Commonwealth law, fills the gap between an unarmed security guard and a bona fide police officer. Due to budget constraints across the state, it isn't always possible to station police officers everywhere they need to be. But at the same time, it doesn't make sense to only have unarmed security at sensitive locations like courthouses, schools, or hospitals. Conservators of the Peace are supposed to bridge that gap. They are legally classified as law enforcement officers and have the power to make arrests, serve warrants and mental health restraining orders, and carry a firearm anywhere a police officer could. They technically are not considered police officers, which excludes them from department budgeting and overtime rules. Instead, the building or company they are protecting pays their salaries. It takes a Circuit Court order to appoint a Conservator of the Peace. Their term lasts four years and their law enforcement powers are limited to the county, city, or town they are assigned to.
The Lee County School District's plan caught the Virginia Department of Education and Attorney General's Office off-guard. Both are reporting that the county did not reach out to them for guidance on the matter. A spokesman for Attorney General Mark Herring recently released a statement criticizing Lee County's plan:
"We recently found out about this scheme, and we’re looking into it. It’s troubling to learn that people are putting so much time and effort into getting around the law and getting more guns into schools when the focus should clearly be on creating a safe, welcoming learning environment."
The National Education Association blasted the move as "ill-conceived, preposterous, and dangerous."
Supporters of the plan, however, argue that the school district is doing this the right way. Instead of just allowing teachers and staff to carry firearms as private citizens, they are choosing to deputize them as law enforcement officers. The teachers who volunteer for the program will also not receive any extra pay. Officials say that this is the only way the county can afford to provide its rural schools with round-the-clock law enforcement security.
The Lee County School Board unanimously approved the program on a 5-0 vote, and so far, they are saying the community is responding positively to the plan.
Teachers who pass the training, background check, and psychological evaluation will be sworn in as Conservators of the Peace in time for classes to resume in September.
What do you think? Is the Lee County School District making a mistake or doing the right thing? Let us know in the comment section below.
