In light of the third roundtable discussion about school safety at the state capitol today, a West Texas school district reinforced their decision to have an armed staff policy, called the Guardian Plan.
For the fifth year in a row, Ralls Independent School District allows faculty to be armed on campus, if they have passed the required training prior.
“They have to go through extensive training, there’s psychological testing to have the right to carry,” Superintendent Chris Wade said. “So we make sure everybody is capable of carrying and performing if needed.”
The district employs about 100 faculty members throughout their schools. Wade would not comment how many of their staff has enlisted in the program for security reasons.
He added they have gotten good feedback on the program, and would recommend it to other school districts.
“Based on our location and our resources we felt it was the best approach to take in helping with the safety and security of our students and staff,” Wade said. “We’re not the only school district that does this and I’m sure it works well in their districts as well.”
