Ohio school district installs signs warning would-be shooters its staff may be armed
The same week a teenager opened fire on students and teachers at an Iowa school, marking the first American school shooting of 2024, a district just outside of Cincinnati implemented a policy allowing its teachers to carry firearms.
Members of the New Richmond Exempted Village School District community saw new signs announcing the change go up outside of the district's school buildings over winter break. The signs read, in all caps: "Attention. Please be aware that the staff may be armed and will use whatever force is necessary to protect our students and staff."
"The goal is deterrence," Superintendent Tracey Miller said Friday. The tragedy in Iowa happened the same day his students returned from winter break. Miller said the recent school shooting "really helps to affirm our decision."
More: 61 school systems in Ohio allow teachers, other staff staff to carry guns. Here's the list
New Richmond is the second public school district in southwest Ohio to approve such a policy, after Williamsburg Local School District, according to information from the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Like Williamsburg's policy, school staff at New Richmond can now get written permission from the board of education to carry firearms on school premises if they complete training required by state law and submit to an annual criminal background check.
It's not just teachers who can be authorized to carry weapons, Miller said. Principals, bus drivers, food service workers and any other school staff are also eligible. But it's not clear if any staff are currently carrying weapons. Part of the district's new firearms policy is that leadership will not disclose if and who might be carrying, so as not to put a target on particular staff members.
"We don't want the bad people to know," Miller said.
Firearm policy more than a year in the making
Miller said New Richmond started sending out surveys and holding community conversations about potentially arming staff after Gov. Mike DeWine signed a law requiring less training for staff to carry guns in 2022. The topic was discussed frequently at school board meetings over the last year, too, Miller said.
At the beginning of 2023, meeting notes on the district's website say less than 45% of district staff supported arming teachers and other employees, but just over 64% of district families supported the idea.
New Richmond's school board approved the policy in March and the official language and guidelines for the policy were approved in October. The policy went into effect Thursday.
As a rural district, Miller said New Richmond has limited resources. The district's school resource officer is split between two buildings, he said, which is one of the reasons he feels confident about arming other staff.
Miller said he hasn't received any pushback from parents or community members since the signs went up.
"It was overwhelmingly positive," he said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio school district puts up signs warning its staff may be armed
