Sean C. Morgan
As it turns out, School District 55 Sc hool Board members learned Monday night, the district has no policy preventing staff members who have a concealed handgun license from carrying a concealed handgun during work.
“Our policy is silent,” said Supt. Don Schrader during the School Board’s regular meeting. “If the policy is silent on it, we don’t know. They don’t have to tell us and can carry. As far as I’m concerned if staff has a concealed carry permit, they’re allowed to do that.”
“I was wondering if there was anything we can do better than we do now,” said Kevin Burger, board member, anything beyond the policy to help protect students. He carried a copy of the district’s policy on weapons in schools, printed from the district’s website.
That policy was written in 1995 and readopted in 1998, 2000 and 2004. The policy largely addressed students and weapons. Burger believes that policy did not allow staff to carry a concealed handgun even if they had a valid license.
While not specifically mentioning whether anyone with a concealed license could carry a concealed handgun on school property, it did invoke the federal Gun Free School Zones Act, prohibiting the discharge or possession of a firearm in a school zone, defined as anywhere on school grounds or within 1,000 feet of school grounds.
The policy specifically mentioned that law enforcement officers could legally carry a firearm, and the superintendent could authorize persons to possess weapons for various programs and activities on district property.
The board revised the policy last year and incorporated the exemption to the federal law: Those who possess a concealed handgun license are permitted to carry a concealed handgun on school property and within the school zone.
The revised policy has not yet been posted to the district’s website.
Supt. Don Schrader said he has talked with Oregon School Boards Association officials about the question, and they are putting together a frequently-asked-question sheet.
From his discussion, he learned that Oregon has three types of policies regarding school staff and weapons.
“Ours is silent on staff and weapons,” Schrader said. The district’s policy is focused on students, while permitting law enforcement and those with valid licenses to carry.
Other schools have adopted a policy regarding weapons and staff, he said. “There’s policies that prohibit staff from carrying weapons, which is what happened in Medford.”
In that case, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a Medford teacher could not bring a handgun onto campus, even though she had a concealed handgun license, due to an employment-related policy.
A third policy type allows the superintendent to assign people to carry.
Burger said he was contacted by a couple of staff members and parents who were interested in taking steps like allowing staff members to carry concealed handguns if they had a valid license. They believed that it was prohibited by policy, and Burger believed it prohibited staff from carrying.
“Nobody has asked,” Schrader said, but he believes the policy is silent. “We’ve looked (for a probibition), but we don’t find it. Staff-weapons policies most districts have, but we don’t.”
“I think most of the comments I’ve gotten were regarding concealed carry,” Burger said. He is satisfied with what he learned from Schrader.
Board Chairman Jason Redick asked if there was a way the district could introduce gun safety education into schools.
“This community is a gun-owning community,” Redick said. “Is there anything we could do to work in some education for these kids?”
“I think that education is important to look at,” said board member Mike E. Adams, noting that many children around Sweet Home play with black airsoft guns.
Schrader told the board he would return with OSBA’s information when he receives it.
Present at the meeting were board members Adams, Jan Sharp, Chairman Jason Redick, Mike Reynolds, David VanDerlip, Jenny Daniels and Burger. Chanz Keeney and Dale Keene were absent.
In other business:
n Schrader said he is developing a survey about the district’s four-day school week. He expected it to be complete by the Budget Committee’s budget workshop meeting. He is looking at examples from surveys in Coos Bay and Harrisburg as he develops the survey.
n The board received a draft of the 2013-14 school calendar. Continuing the four-day week, school would start on Sept. 3 and end on June 12 for students, with 148 teaching days, six holidays, 18 professional days held primarily on Fridays, four conference days and two grading days.
Christmas break would begin on Dec. 23, and school would resume on Jan. 6. Spring break would begin March 24, and school would resume on March 31.
“Of course this could be changed,” Schrader said. It needs to be finished by March, so he brought the draft to the board for review.
Sharp asked what would happen if the board decides to return to a five-day week.
The board could approve the calendar in March but could change it afterward if necessary, Schrader said.