Dive Brief:

• The state legislature in Wyoming voted March 1 to give boards of education the right to allow certain school employees or volunteers to carry guns, with the intent of giving rural districts an option for protection.
• The Casper Star Tribune reports one rural district with just 135 students, in Meeteetse, has considered the possibility of arming select employees, but Fremont County School District considers the hiring of a new police officer in town protection enough.
• The law requires school districts that choose to arm employees to coordinate with law enforcement, and Meeteetse district superintendent Jay Curtis says he is taking lessons from other states that have limited the types of guns and bullets allowed in schools.

Dive Insight:

In her confirmation hearing, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos supported the rights of schools to allow guns on their property as a source of protection. In one of the most-discussed parts of the hearing, DeVos said some districts need guns to protect students and staff members from grizzly bears.

While there are ardent supporters who say guns can make schools safer, opponents argue school staff members don’t have the training they would need to respond appropriately in an emergency. Teachers who have survived school shootings have become some of the most vocal opponents of new gun laws.