Arming teachers, school staff discussed for Peyton School District
Peyton could become the second local school district known to authorize teachers and school staff to carry guns as protection from active shooters.
The school board heard a presentation Monday night from FASTER, an organization that provides gun training to school employees who are authorized to be armed or are willing to volunteer to be armed.
KRDO NewsChannel 13 brought you a special report on July 19 about the FASTER training process. The organization is in its second year of providing training in Colorado.
FASTER stands for Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response.
A town hall meeting on the matter is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday in the Peyton High School cafeteria.
Superintendent Tim Kistler said FASTER and another training group will be present at the town hall.
“But I want to make it clear that neither I nor the school board is officially considering arming teachers,” he said. “A parent wants the public to discuss the matter. He organized a town hall in June and around 90 people attended it. He’s also organizing the Friday town hall.”
Most people who spoke with KRDO NewsChannel 13 Friday support allowing teachers and school staff to carry guns on the job.
“So far, I’ve only heard from three other people who know about it, and they say they don’t like the idea because they’re afraid the teachers aren’t adequate enough for it,” said Amanda Norwood, who just graduated from Peyton High School. “But I support it.”
Wayne Boote, a parent and Marine veteran, said arming teachers provides the best level of safety and security, given that it would take the Sheriff’s Office longer than 30 minutes to respond to a school emergency.
“My kids have done drills where they get locked into a room, in case there’s a predator in the area,” he said. “And that really scared my daughter because she didn’t feel safe. She felt trapped.”
The district has 630 students but each school has an armed school resource officer from the Sheriff’s Office only one day each week.
Hanover is the only other local school district known to allow armed teachers and school staff. The superintendent said its armed staff acquired their training elsewhere and did not attend the FASTER classes.
