Some Teachers, Staff In Keene ISD Will Be Able To Carry Guns On Campuses

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KEENE (CBS11) – School Trustees at Keene ISD voted 6-1 Wednesday night to approve the so-called "Guardian Program."

Under this plan a few selected teachers and staff would be allowed to carry a gun on campus.

The district is made up of 3 campuses and about 1,024 students.  All of them are currently served by one police officer.

Superintendent Ricky Stephens who strongly supported the plan said, "All the damage is really done before the police get there. What we wanted to do is do the best thing we could to fill the gap…so they [active shooter] wouldn't have free reign."

Dan Roberts, the only trustee to vote against the plan, said the district was moving too fast in implementing the measure.

He said, "I think we should have more police officers or some other kind of enforcement," about what he preferred as added security measures.

School district administrators say under the plan those few selected to participate would undergo strict psychological evaluations and hand gun training as well as proficiency testing.

Superintendent Stephens says he expects those carrying guns on campus will begin sometime in February.

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