State superintendent candidates focus on safety without gun control

Jun. 5—CHEYENNE — Wyoming candidates for state superintendent of public instruction said school safety is among their top priorities following the death of 19 students and two teachers in a Texas school shooting, but gun control is not.

"As a lifelong Wyomingite, I grew up hunting and using firearms safely since I was a teenager," said Republican candidate Megan Degenfelder. "I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and I just believe that in Wyoming, we do it right. And we do that with local control and local decision making."

She was among the six candidates who filed for the primary election on Aug. 16 — five Republicans and one Democrat — and reflected on the current safety environment in Wyoming schools, prevention tactics, funding and the role of the Wyoming Department of Education in policy implementation. Although five candidates who weighed in differed in their methods and perspectives, many said it was important not to impede Second Amendment rights.

"It seems the fall point is everybody wants to blame guns," said Robert White III, a Rock Springs miner and Republican candidate. "Well, look at the United Kingdom. They don't have guns there, but they still manage to kill people with knives. So, it seems if somebody wants to kill somebody, they're going to. We really need to address the mental health of these people."

Brian Schroeder is the Republican candidate who currently holds the position of state superintendent of public instruction, and he did not address gun control in Wyoming. However, he said the grief he feels for the families and other citizens impacted in Texas propels him to make sure this state's schools are as safe and secure as possible.

"I have full confidence that our local school districts are vigilant in their efforts to keep our students and staff safe," he stated. "However, I am not complacent and will be meeting with each of our 48 school district superintendents to review and discuss their current safety policies and procedures, and emergency plan."

Feeling secure

Schroeder's confidence in the safety of local school districts was shared by others seeking the office of state superintendent, while still emphasizing there is always room for improvement.

"As an educator, as a parent, as a grandpa, as a community member, we want our children to be in a safe place," Democratic candidate Sergio A. Maldanado Sr. told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. "And I can say this: I believe that our children — K-12 and at the university — are in a safe place."

While there is no record of school shootings in Wyoming in the past decade, this did not take away from the candidates' concern or caution.

White said safety was his number one campaign priority, even though he considers Wyoming to be shielded from many of the violent occurrences that happen on a regular basis across the country. He said he has two children in Wyoming's public schools, and the possibility of a tragedy is staring him in the face every day.

"It scares me to send my children to school," he said. "I mean, I believe they're safe, but it scares me because you just don't know in today's world."

The idea it could happen in any state, including Wyoming, was reiterated by many of the candidates. Tom Kelly, a Republican candidate who was a finalist as former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow's replacement earlier this year, said he has concerns about whether Wyoming schools are safe, just like anywhere in the nation. He said it was almost a cliche that after a school shooting, someone is interviewed saying they never thought it could happen to them.

However, he said he is less concerned for the safety of local students because of how many residents carry weapons.

According to data collected by AZ Defenders, Wyoming is among the most gun-friendly states in the nation. It was rated No. 3 because there is no waiting period or universal background check requirements, and both open and concealed carry is allowed constitutionally.

"I have fewer concerns because of that," Kelly said. "Mass murderers show over and over that they pick areas where they're least likely to have people like that. That's why there's not mass shootings in police stations and gun shows, but in churches and schools."

Arming educators

Kelly is among the supporters of a policy allowing teachers to carry weapons on school property and take action in the event of a shooting. The political science professor said he sees Democrats and Republicans continually debating long-term solutions, such as mental health or gun restrictions, but he said he believes the reality is the next school shooter already has his gun, his ammo and his plans.

He sees only one viable course of action to limit the damage.

"That would be to allow people who are legally allowed to carry firearms to carry them to work," he said. "It makes no sense to me why in just about every other occupation, people are allowed to defend themselves with their Second Amendment rights, but they have to give that up when they go into an educational setting."

He said teachers have tragically proven over and over again that they will die to save their students, but they shouldn't have to.

Kelly was joined in the argument that teachers should have access to weapons and be properly trained on school property by his competition in the Republican primary. White said he would support legislation brought forward by lawmakers to allow all faculty to be armed, but he wants there to be contingencies. His vision includes high-caliber training and pay incentives for educators who choose to be armed.

This is different from Kelly, who wants teachers who already have concealed carry permits not to be told they have to leave their guns at home to go to work.

It is up to the school districts to decide if this is allowed currently. The Wyoming Legislature passed a law in 2017 that allows possession of firearms on school property if the local board of trustees adopts rules and regulations in consultation with law enforcement. The employee must hold a valid concealed carry permit, and the district could choose to cover the cost of training.

Degenfelder said she was very supportive of the approach lawmakers took, and what works in some communities might not work in others. She said local decision making is critical.

After the "School Safety and Security Act" came to fruition, former State Superintendent Balow developed a guidebook for Wyoming school boards in hopes of answering any questions for stakeholders.

"School safety is a uniquely important and local issue," she wrote. "We all know that keeping our students safe is our number one responsibility as education leaders, but securing a safe environment looks different in each school and district."

Prevention tactics

Safety does look different for each district, and so do prevention tactics. This was an ideal acknowledged by the candidates as they spoke about other ways to encourage the highest level of security in Wyoming public schools.

Maldanado told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle the efforts to protect students had to be cohesive between the Wyoming Department of Education and local districts. He said as superintendent, he would ensure administrators, staff and teachers are implementing policy, while still cultivating independence. Even in a partially decentralized system, he considers communication a key component.

He did not speculate about whether he would support legislation to arm teachers or place weapons in schools. He said lawmakers could decide on policy, and school districts are able to communicate their needs.

"I support gun rights. I own a pair of guns," he said.

Although he is not the leader of the state agency yet, he has already called for action. He wants there to be an immediate review of every Wyoming school district's practices and procedures to keep children safe. He noted in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting, Gov. Matt Mead appointed a School Safety Task Force to find ways to develop crisis management procedures. Recommendations were made to have more school resource officers on site, have statewide standards of school security and drills for situations involving a shooter.

"I am calling for the Wyoming Department of Education to use this summer to inspect every school to assure that the building is hardened to prevent entry from potential attackers, and appropriate procedures are in place for coordinated responses from law enforcement and school officials," he stated in his request. "As the facts unfold in Uvalde, we see safety procedures ignored and crisis response severely inadequate. The time to act is now before disaster strikes."

He was not alone in a call for procedure audits. Degenfelder said she was interested in hiring threat assessment teams if she took over the office. She said she believes this can also help develop a cost analysis for the funding needed to provide safety measures.

"These teams are great because they include law enforcement, school officials, teachers, parents," she said. "They're truly a community effort, and they make determinations and policy changes on the local levels."

She has been traveling across the state for the past few months, and she said she is already impressed by the secure building access, technology and safety measures she has seen. Degenfelder said it was another positive benefit of so many new schools being built in Wyoming in the last decade.

"That's something we've got to prioritize and continue, and we must remain vigilant," she said.

Mental health care was also discussed by the candidates, but many said it is not an immediate solution. Degenfelder said there is also not one precise component to solving the issue, and that's why it makes it difficult to address.

While she took a multi-pronged approach, Kelly was adamant that the key to preventing violence was putting defense mechanisms in place, such as teachers carrying weapons.

"No amount of mental health coverage, no amount of restrictive laws will stop somebody who's on an evil mission," Kelly said.

Local response

Each school in the state has its own safety precautions in place that are similar to one another. As of 2019, just four school districts out of the 48 statewide reported approving policies allowing teachers to arm themselves.

Laramie County School District 1 administrators said this was a conversation that was had after the law was passed in 2017, but it was not supported in the Capital City. This was because there is easy access to local law enforcement within many local schools.

"There's some rural districts in Wyoming that moved toward this model, just because of the nature of where they're located," LCSD1 Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Jim Fraley said.

He said some areas are 45 miles away from the nearest local law enforcement agency, and having a school resource officer nearby was not practical.

They've focused on leveraging technology for physical security, through cameras, alarms and other tools. The district's safety and security administrator, Todd Deporter, said Wyoming Safe2Tell is an important part of their precaution measures, because it is an anonymous reporting platform anyone can use to share concerns or threats. Local law enforcement supports training and has a response plan in place, as well.

This diversity in needs has led to the argument by many of the candidates for more local control. LCSD1 Superintendent Margaret Crespo said it has to be a collaborative model, which happens through reaching out to the state for support and developing partnerships with local law enforcement.

"The reality is that we do better when we are all working together," she said.

Jasmine Hall is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's state government reporter. She can be reached by email at jhall@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3167. Follow her on Twitter @jasminerhphotos and on Instagram @jhrose25.