Arkansas school district arming teachers and staff with concealed guns

When classes resume this month for the Clarksville, Arkansas School District, there will be 20 teachers and staff armed with concealed guns as part of a plan to help ensure the safety of the students in attendance.

The district has made use of a state law that allows licensed, armed security guards on campus. In order to meet this criteria, the armed educators have each undergone 53 hours of training by Nighthawk Custom Training Academy, a private training facility in northwest Arkansas.

School Superintendent David Hopkins said of the armed approach:

“The plan we’ve been given in the past is ‘Well, lock your doors, turn off your lights and hope for the best.’ That’s not a plan… We’re not tying our money up in a guard 24/7 that we won’t have to have unless something happens. We’ve got these people who are already hired and using them in other areas. Hopefully we’ll never have to use them as a security guard.”

Those employees who’ve chosen to go through with the training were provided a one-time $1,100 stipend to purchase a handgun and holster. The district has provided an additional $50,000 for ammunition and training.

The district is going to post signs at their schools about the new armed guards, but they will be keeping the identities of those carrying concealed weapons concealed.

This has been a hot-button topic ever since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. What do you think about Clarksville’s approach of arming certain undisclosed members of their staff?

Photo: Clarksville High School Facebook | Stock 9mm image