West Virginia House Passes Bill Allowing Trained Teachers and School Staff to Carry Firearms in K-12 Public Schools

The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill on February 21, 2024, that would allow trained teachers and other school staff to carry firearms in K-12 public schools. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, would provide an alternative option for schools that cannot afford to hire full-time school resource officers.

The proposal, which has been a topic of debate for some time, was met with overwhelming support from the Republican-controlled House of Delegates, with 89 votes in favor and only 11 votes against. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Del. Dave Foggin, a physics teacher, argued that teachers should be able to defend their students against potential threats, even if it means using a firearm.

“Evil is a problem. Hate is a problem. I would like to be able to combat hate with love, but unfortunately, it will take a firearm if someone else has one,” Foggin said before the vote.

The bill would allow teachers, administrators, and support personnel with concealed carry permits to volunteer to bring a firearm into school with the intention of using it to defend the school in case of an active shooter event. These staffers would be designated as “school protection officers” and would not receive any additional compensation for doing so.

Supporters of the bill argue that not every school system in West Virginia can afford to hire a full-time school resource officer. This program would provide another option for schools to ensure the safety of their students.

However, the bill has faced criticism from some Democrats and a handful of Republicans who worry about local control being threatened. Democratic Del. Joey Garcia argued that school board members should be able to make up their own minds instead of having the Legislature “force-feeding a solution to them.”

The bill also requires that firearms be concealed on campus and that educators have a concealed carry permit. Staffers could also choose to carry a stun gun or a Taser instead of a gun. The bill requires that staff carrying weapons at school undergo annual behavioral health assessments and training designed by the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security.

The identities of staff members approved to carry a gun would be kept private and exempt from public records requests for student safety reasons. The information would be shared with the homeland security department and local law enforcement agencies.

Democratic Del. Kayla Young spoke against the bill, expressing concerns about the potential presence of guns in schools and the lack of transparency regarding who has them.

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Young said, citing an argument used by the bill’s supporters. “I’m not sure if I agree with that specifically because if that were the case, the United States would probably be the safest place on earth.”

However, supporters of the bill argue that the presence of armed teachers would act as a deterrent to potential shooters and provide an additional layer of security for students.

The bill is similar to a proposal last year that was approved by one House committee but never made it to the floor. It allowed school districts to opt into the protection officer program after a public hearing where local citizens could weigh in. This year’s bill also made the program optional until lawmakers approved a last-minute change during debate Wednesday requiring school districts to participate if a staffer wants to take on the protection officer role and completes training.

The bill contains a fiscal note estimating a cost of $275,000 for training, but no money has been designated for the program yet. The bill requires that staffers carrying weapons at school undergo annual behavioral health assessments and training designed by the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security.

The bill has been met with mixed reactions, with some praising the common-sense solution and others expressing concerns about the potential presence of guns in schools. Regardless of the outcome, the debate surrounding the bill highlights the ongoing conversation about school safety and the role of armed personnel in ensuring the safety of students.

In conclusion, the West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill on February 21, 2024, that would allow trained teachers and other school staff to carry firearms in K-12 public schools. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, would provide an alternative option for schools that cannot afford to hire full-time school resource officers. The bill has faced criticism from some Democrats and a handful of Republicans, but supporters argue that the presence of armed teachers would act as a deterrent to potential shooters and provide an additional layer of security for students. The debate surrounding the bill highlights the ongoing conversation about school safety and the role of armed personnel in ensuring the safety of students.