Spencer, IA (KICD)– Area lawmakers discussed a controversial measure at Saturday’s Eggs and Issues Legislative Forum on allowing schools to have armed staff to help with response times in the event of an emergency.

Senator Lynn Evans, a retired school administrator, noted there is already a section of Iowa code that allows individual school districts to make this decision on their own.

Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake, after being asked about the science of schools having the choice to arm staff members, added there are already more than a dozen states that have protocols in place which he says can greatly reduce response times in the event of situation involving a weapon.

 

The Spirit Lake and Cherokee School Districts were working toward getting the proper training in place in order to have armed staff last year, but ran into some roadblocks when it came to finding insurance coverage fitting all of the districts other needs while also having liability on this measure.