White wants to arm teachers
HARRISBURG — State Sen. Don White, R-41st, said he got the idea for the bill that would allow Pennsylvania teachers and other school employees to carry guns at schools after visiting Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville.
More than 20 students were injured at the school in April when a student attacked his peers with a knife.
White, R-41st, the bill’s prime sponsor, talked about his bill Tuesday at a Senate Education Committee hearing. White of Indiana County represents much of the eastern part of Butler County.
He said teachers are the first responders in those type of situations, especially in schools in rural communities.
“They’re the first ones to confront these crazy people,” he said.
Teachers in Ohio are permitted to carry guns in school with specialized training. They can do so after taking a training course through the Buckeye Firearms Association, he said.
White said his vision is for Pennsylvania teachers to have the same training.
“It would be similar to the three-day intensive course offered in Ohio,” he said. “(The course) specifically trains teachers and policemen on these kinds of confrontations.”
White said 30 school districts in Ohio use the training.
He said it is up to the teachers to volunteer to take the course and pay for it. White said the training in Ohio costs about $1,200.
Under White’s bill, all school districts in the state would be able to authorize teachers to carry guns. However, White said his primary intention with the bill is to aid schools in rural communities where police presence is not as close.
“Philadelphia police can probably be at the city’s schools in a matter of minutes,” White said. “That’s not always true for schools in rural areas.”
It would be up to school boards to determine if teachers could carry the weapon or if they’d have to keep it in a locked safe, White said.
He said the bill is in its early stages and will likely be refined.
“It’s just an idea,” White said. “I don’t feel it’s a bad idea.”
Eric Ritzert, Karns City School District superintendent, said he is not opposed to the legislation, but would be cautious if the bill is passed.
Currently, the district employs armed school police officers, with two in the high school and one in each of the elementary schools.
“Our primary reliance is on our school police officers and, ultimately, the state police,” Ritzert said.
He said if White’s bill is passed, he would work with other school district officials to determine if they would recommend arming teachers. But Ritzert noted that teachers would have to be highly trained.
The superintendent said he is comfortable with the level of security the district has now.
