NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee school districts could soon allow their teachers to carry guns on campus, however, none have openly said they will, yet.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation into law on April 26 allowing school districts to arm their teachers after the educators go through several requirements, including submitting to a background check, passing a psychiatric evaluation, getting permission from the school’s principal and police department, and undergoing 40 hours of training in basic school policing, among other measures.
Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, told NewsNation affiliate WKRN the legislation was written before the Covenant School shooting to help rural school districts struggling to hire school resource officers, despite the legislature appropriating $140 million to pay for the positions.
“This was designed to help those rural counties that feel like they need to have a layer of protection in place in the event that they don’t have a school resource officer, and even if they do have a school resource officer this can also add an extra layer of protection and the safety of our kids,” Bailey said.
WKRN compiled statements from several school districts across the state about whether they plan to arm teachers; none openly said they would.
Many districts, including Davidson, Memphis-Shelby County, and Knox County schools said no.
Even some of the rural districts the law was created to help also announced it’s not in their best interest to allow teachers to carry guns.
Anderson County’s director of schools posted a statement on social media that reads in part:
“We firmly believe that the role of our educators is to focus on teaching and providing a nurturing environment for learning. By shouldering the responsibility of concealed carry, we fear that this could detract from their primary duty and could potentially introduce unnecessary risks into the educational setting.“
In addition, the director of Robertson County Schools wrote that, while he respects the Legislature for passing the measure and any district that believes it’s best for their situation, arming teachers is not in Robertson County Schools’ best interest. He also pointed out the many safety measures the district already has in place, including SROs.
“As Director of Schools, I do not see blurring the line between education and law enforcement,” the director of schools wrote in a statement.
However, while Putnam County Schools officials told WKRN the district believes that professional law enforcement officers are the best resource in the community for protecting students, faculty, and staff, the district and sheriff’s office will work to come up with a memorandum of understanding to provide the best protection for their students and staff, not directly answering whether the district will allow teachers to carry guns.
A statement from Putnam County’s director of schools reads in part:
“The General Assembly passed a bill that authorizes faculty or staff members who meet specific standards to carry a concealed handgun on campus. At a minimum, those standards appear to be annual psychological examinations and rigorous post-certification firearms training. The Putnam County School Board and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office need time to review the final version of the legislation and determine the best path forward to maintain the safety of Putnam County Schools.”
“There are some rural districts that said, ‘We’re looking at the legislation, we’re going to be analyzing exactly what the qualification process will be for an individual to possess a firearm on campus,'” Sen. Bailey said. “It’s all brand new. I think everyone wants to make sure there’s guidelines in place, there’s protections in place, not just for the safety of our students but also for faculty and staff members alike.”
Despite protests and backlash over the legislation to arm teachers, Bailey said its main goal is to protect students and staff in schools.
“I just want to make sure that people understand that we are totally committed to the safety of our children and this legislation was designed to do just that,” Bailey said.
The law to arm teachers immediately went into effect after receiving Gov. Lee’s signature.