Oak Ridge Schools will not allow teachers and other staff members to carry guns in buildings, Superintendent Bruce Borchers said Wednesday. Borchers made the announcement in a notice sent to school families.
His announcement came the day after the Tennessee House of Representatives passed legislation to allow some trained teachers and school staff to carry handguns. Republicans approved the bill in a 68-28 vote despite pleas from Democrats, students, and gun-reform advocates, The Tennessean reported.
“Yesterday, Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill that would allow teachers and other staff members to carry concealed handguns on school campuses should a school district decide to allow it,” Borchers said. “If Governor (Bill) Lee signs the legislation allowing concealed firearms in schools into law, Oak Ridge Schools will not allow teachers or school staff to carry firearms in our buildings. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and it is our core belief that our ongoing safety initiatives have a greater positive impact on our overall safety than arming staff would.”
Under the state legislation, armed teachers will have to undergo training, although there is a debate about whether it will be intensive enough, and they will be able to “carry handguns in their classrooms and in most campus situations without informing parents and most of their colleagues they’re armed,” The Tennesseean said. (Learn more about the legislation, its requirements, and history in stories by The Tennessean and Associated Press.)
State legislators who represent parts of Anderson County and Oak Ridge voted in favor of the legislation, which passed the Senate earlier this month. They included Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally of Oak Ridge, Representative John Ragan of Oak Ridge, Senator Ken Yager of Kingston, Representative Monty Fritts of Kingston, and Representative Ed Butler of Rickman.
In Oak Ridge, Borchers said the school system has invested about $2.5 million during the past 10 years to provide the “highest level” of safety and security.
“In partnership with Oak Ridge Police Department (ORPD), our four elementary schools, two middle schools, and Oak Ridge High School each have a full-time, armed, and uniformed school resource officer embedded in their buildings,” the superintendent said. “All internal and external doors remain locked while students are in the buildings, and all visitors must be buzzed in and cleared through our visitor management software. In addition to installing more than 460 security cameras district-wide, we recently partnered with Raptor Technologies to implement Raptor Alert, an app that allows staff to initiate Level 1-4 lockdowns from their phones or an emergency pendant attached to their badges. This system immediately notifies emergency response personnel, alerts all staff, and triggers outdoor strobe lights, automated PA announcements, desktop, and phone notifications.”
But possibly most important is the school system’s “excellent partnership and working relationship with Oak Ridge police and fire departments,” Borchers said. “Members of those agencies assist in our mandated safety drills, meet with us monthly as part of our District Safety Committee, and are integral in the development and implementation of our emergency response plans. We are so fortunate to have their support and dedication to keeping our students and community safe.
“While there will likely be a lot of media coverage regarding the recent handgun legislation, Oak Ridge Schools will not be allowing concealed handguns in our buildings moving forward. It is our duty and privilege to keep your students safe, and we remain committed to implementing effective and comprehensive policies that prioritize the well-being of everyone in Oak Ridge Schools.”
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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