Large signs outside rural Colorado schools warn that teachers may be armed with guns

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) – On the Hanover Junior-Senior Excessive Faculty, employees members are allowed to hold weapons.

The small faculty is situated in a rural space southeast of Fountain. Superintendent Kyle Cooper mentioned arming employees is a necessity when your faculty is so remotely situated.

“We’re half-hour away from regulation enforcement response,” Cooper defined. “In a scenario the place the security of our college students is in danger. We really feel that it’s necessary that we now have a chance to defend our college students.”

The Hanover Faculty sits surrounded by miles of nation roads and positioned on the campus’s entrance is a warning signal. It reveals to anybody that reads it that the varsity’s employees could also be armed.

There are practically 300 college students within the district. Precisely what number of employees members educate whereas armed isn’t clear. They first began carrying weapons on this district in 2016.

“The very last thing we’d need is for us to make the issue worse. So, our academics have to be effectively skilled. Defend a place. It’s not designed to be an assault place. It’s designed to guard college students,” Cooper mentioned.

Workers members that select to hold a weapon whereas educating on campus are required to take part in each annual and month-to-month coaching.

Not everybody believes permitting faculty employees to hold guys is an efficient factor.

Members of a analysis group known as Everytown mentioned that permitting weapons on campuses is prone to result in extra shootings. The group additionally mentioned that a rise of their presence is unlikely to forestall mass shootings on campus shifting ahead

Officers with the Hanover district are glad none of their academics have had to make use of their firearms.