Quanah ISD Allows School Employees To Carry Guns In New Safety Policy

Another Texoma school district has decided having staff armed with guns is one answer to stopping violence on campuses.

On Monday Quanah's school district's Board of Trustees unanimously approved the new safety policy.

And now they'll be arming teachers with guns to protect their public schools.

It's a small town far away from many law enforcement resources larger cities can call on.

"We are out in an area where we don't have a swat we don't have the type of law enforcement," said Jason Sims, a teacher at Quanah high school.

"In Sandy Hook it was over in four and a half minutes and we got to thinking about our teachers and how they would be left there as a target with no line of defense," said Buddy Freeman, Quanah ISD Superintendent.

So now the Quanah ISD will follow suit with nearby Harrold ISD to allow qualified teachers and other employees to be armed with guns.

School officials say all employees carrying a handgun will be required to have a current concealed handgun permit and will undergo training.

There new safety policy is more than just concealed hand guns they are keeping school doors locked and making sure all school visitors are accounted for.

They'll be checking all school guests in and monitoring them with security cameras.

And school officials say it's those measures and more that may be enough to discourage intruders from stepping foot in their schools.

"If you are going to go into an environment that you know that is going to be very difficult to execute your plans and you know there is going to be resistance against you it's the greatest deterrent you can have in place," said Sims.

Quanah school officials said they did look at Harrold's safety policy for guidance in writing their own.

Harrold was the first school in the nation to allow teachers to carry concealed handguns