Iowa school board votes to allow staff to carry guns in school

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (KCRG) - The Spirit Lake School Board voted this week to allow 10 staff members to carry guns in schools.

Superintendent Dr. David Smith will be able to designate up to 10 staff members, none of whom are teachers, to carry a concealed weapon in school buildings.

Those people will be required to go through training, and the school will likely own the guns.

The superintendent said the new policy serves as a deterrent for people wanting to harm others.

“As a school district, we have an obligation to protect our students and staff from a possible active shooter situation,” said Dr. Smith. “We know that when these events occur, most of the victims fall within the first few minutes. We have determined the right action to take is to give trained staff members the opportunity to stop a killer as soon as possible...”

He added other safety features include more mental health support, a resource officer, security cameras, and locked doors.

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