School Board preps ‘concept and frame’ for concealed-carry program

For the past two months, Holyoke School District’s Board of Education has examined the question of how they might implement a concealed-carry program for school security. To that end, according to Board Secretary Jessica Koch, the district needs to form their ideal plan based on what is available before presenting a “concept and frame” to school staff.

If the board’s plan proves ill-defined when presenting to the staff, she told fellow members the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 3, their only answer to important questions might be, “I don’t know.” This, she said, could lead to “50 people” vying with the seven board members to “write the rules,” followed by difficulties in project management.

“I’m not looking for a detailed outline with all the bullets,” she said. “I just want a frame, so when we start having these engagements with these various entities…we have something we’ve at least thought through in terms of a concept.”

At that day’s work session, board members conversed by video call with Wiggins School District Superintendent Trent Kerr, who had implemented a concealed-carry program as directed by the school’s student resource officer. Over a period of about seven years, the Wiggins district managed to bring in a team of eight people placed in the its buildings and trained to move toward a shooting incident. Holyoke Superintendent Kyle Stumpf said in a later interview this team was not made up of “classified teachers…instructing kids daily,” because the Wiggins District believes “there is a social and emotional toll” involved in the process.

A good security program, Board Director Mike Brown said, would need to utilize three “pillars” to work: equipment, staff and policies. If the school were to acquire a resource officer, School Board President Dusty Sprague noted, the participation aspect would be a given. The board considered the idea of sharing an officer with the Haxtun School District, but were unsure whether such an option could be implemented.

Brown said input from “a community our size” that implemented a concealed-carry program without a resource officer could prove useful.

Moving forward, Stumpf said, he would gather information on resource officers and their cost via the Holyoke City Council, as well as create a safety concept rough draft for the board to discuss at their retreat scheduled on Feb. 15. 

They also plan to fit in a meeting with the Haxtun Town Council.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.