(CNN) — School boards in South Dakota will be able to let school employees, hired security personnel or volunteers carry guns in schools under a law signed Friday by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
The law, set to go into effect July 1, will let school boards establish “school sentinel” programs. Under these programs, the school boards can arm people “to secure or enhance the deterrence of physical threat and defense of the school, its students, its staff, and members of the public on the school premises against violent attack,” according to the legislation.
All school sentinels would first be required to complete a training program.
Some other states, including Utah, allow teachers to have loaded weapons inside classrooms.
By CNN Staff
5 Comments to “New law lets South Dakota schools arm teachers, volunteers”
March 9, 2013 at 9:28 AM
S.D. will have the safest schools.
March 9, 2013 at 7:57 PM
In Illinois we trust teachers to form the minds of our children but we can't trust a few of them to carry firearms to protect these same children? Instead we have the ridiculous policy of not allowing anyone other than police and alderman the capability of self-defense.
March 9, 2013 at 10:59 PM
It is going to be difficult to recruit teachers in SD… were teachers asked at all?