Three letters of recommendation, 20 hours of training and a psychological evaluation are among the several proposed requirements needed for school security staff to be able to bring a gun into rural Nebraska districts.
The guidelines are part of a model policy draft the Nebraska Department of Education and Nebraska State Patrol crafted to follow LB1329, an education package passed in April that allows firearms in certain school districts. The draft proposal will be presented to the State Board of Education for input on Friday, but approval won't occur until December, pending policy revisions.
The original version of the firearms provision in LB1329, introduced by State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, would have applied to all school districts in the state. But after stiff opposition from larger metropolitan areas, the measure was changed to apply to districts with fewer than 5,000 residents.
Larger districts already have school resource officers, who can carry guns, while smaller districts might lack law enforcement resources, Brewer said earlier this year. The new measure will apply to 192 of the state’s 244 public school districts but only affect about 68,000 of the state’s 328,000 K-12 students, he said.
The Nebraska Department of Education's model policy establishes guidelines for local school boards to follow when creating their own policies, though it's up to each district whether or not they want to adopt one.
The model policy draft says only authorized security staff will be able to carry their own firearm in a school, on school grounds, in a school-owned vehicle or at a school-sponsored activity or athletic event.
Security staff must meet requirements
Authorized security staff will have to meet a long list of requirements and follow several guidelines to be able to bring a gun to school. First, they have to be contracted to provide school security, and then the employee must get a valid Nebraska concealed carry permit, submit a letter of interest to the district, pass a comprehensive background check and provide three letters of recommendation verified by the superintendent.
The staff member also has to complete at least 20 hours of required training, along with a mental health screening and consultation with a psychologist.
The required training includes subjects on school law, student rights, student disabilities, conflict deescalation, physical restraint, security personnel ethics, teenage brain development, adolescent behavior, implicit bias, diversity, inclusion and trauma-informed responses. The employee will also be trained in CPR and first-aid, safe firearm handling, criminal and civil liability and more.
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Each authorized security staff will be required to maintain training by completing a minimum of four hours each year.
The policy draft allows storage of firearms on school grounds. The gun has to be put in a biometric safe that's hidden from direct line of sight and only the employee can have access to the safe. The employee also has to be present at all times if their firearm is stored on school grounds.
If the staff member chooses to carry the gun, they have to carry it holstered and concealed. They can't display the gun unless there's an active threat.Â
Authority to act only during an active threat
The policy draft says the security staff doesn't have the authority to act in the capacity of a law enforcement officer. But if there is an active threat, the employee "can take actions necessary to prevent or abate an active threat and temporarily detain an individual when (they have) reasonable cause to believe the individual has committed or is about to commit a forcible act of violence that could cause serious bodily injury or death."
Allowing school employees to possess a firearm in case of emergencies is becoming more popular across the nation. have authorized staff — including teachers — to carry guns with administrator approval and training.Â
But national data shows that even though school staff might be allowed to carry firearms, few might actually take part.
by RAND Corporation, a national public policy research nonprofit, found out of nearly 1,000 teachers who were surveyed, only 20% believe that arming staff will make schools safer. Male teachers in rural schools were also most likely to personally carry a firearm at school if allowed.
The State Board of Education will discuss the model policy draft at its , scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Raising Nebraska Building, located at 501 East Fonner Park Road in Grand Island.
Omaha World-Herald Staff Writers Erin Bamer and Martha Stoddard contributed to this report.