Recent disasters such as the Sandy Hook shootings have influenced schools to enforce new safety protocols such as requiring visitors to sign into the office with identification for the Raptor program and armed officers in the school; however a recent Texas law passed leaves many students and teachers concerned about measures that could be taken to add safety.

The law which passed in Texas on May 4, allows teachers to carry guns during school with permission from the district.
WFISD has not reached a resolution for the law. However, if they did Vice Principal Rebecca Hitchcock said that “an increased training will be required” if guns were allowed in school.

The training will require a concealed handgun license and additional training to carry a gun on a school campus.

“Non-lethal weapons are a better choice with proper training,” Hitchcock said.

Weapons such as bean bag guns, pepper spray, or stun guns are alternative weapons that could be used to help school safety.

Some people feel that paying attention to students can raise safety as well.

“Instead of jumping to conclusions and giving teachers guns, we should train teachers to stay alert and know how to handle dangerous situations,” Chemistry teacher Stacie Martin said.

Martin said that allowing guns in school may create an unsafe environment and make the students feel like their safety is in danger. She also said she feels that students may be uneasy knowing that a teacher had a gun in class and may not be able to learn to their full capacity.

“I am not a proponent of a deadly weapon,” Hitchcock said. “I have a [concealed handgun license] and do not wish to carry a gun on campus.”

Hitchcock feels that the responsibility of carrying a gun at school is a responsibility too great for anyone without intense and continuous training specially made for a school environment.
Martin agrees.

“I feel an inappropriate response to violence is more violence,” Martin said.

Calls to the WFISD chief of police were not returned.