South Dakota to let schools arm teachers
March 8th, 2013
05:39 PM ET

South Dakota to let schools arm teachers

School boards in South Dakota will be permitted 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.

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Filed under: Education • South Dakota
soundoff (75 Responses)
  1. banasy©

    Okay. Hope it helps.

    March 8, 2013 at 5:43 pm | Report abuse |
  2. 1608®

    Do they have problems n North Dakota schools?

    March 8, 2013 at 5:55 pm | Report abuse |
    • Reid

      Im not sure if there is, but does there need to be a problem before they do something to protect the kids?

      March 8, 2013 at 6:16 pm | Report abuse |
    • G.Alan

      Hind sight is always 20/20 but is also always too late. Better to be armed and not need to defend yourself than not be armed and killed by 'gun control' legislation.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • Jim

      Pay attention. The article is about South Dakota. South Dakota has a very high rate of firearm ownership, and a very low murder rate.

      March 8, 2013 at 9:05 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Eric

    Bad idea. Very bad idea. I would pull my kid out of that school immediately.

    March 8, 2013 at 6:11 pm | Report abuse |
    • David

      Why would you pull your child out Eric?

      March 8, 2013 at 6:20 pm | Report abuse |
    • ThatOneGuy

      Why? You trust the same teacher with your child anyways, and they can still be a threat to your child along that line of logic. A gun hardly makes a difference.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:22 pm | Report abuse |
    • ThatOneGuy

      Besides all that (darn you lack of an edit button!)
      You'd have to pull your child out of the entire state; assuming it's a uniform armament. Or invest in private school.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:24 pm | Report abuse |
    • Leo

      And all the other parents would say "SEE YA!" I suggeest you stay away from my South Dakota, as we don't believe in "hope for the best, Pray, and dial 911" here. We understand that the best defense is a strong offense and will do what it takes to take care of our own.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:24 pm | Report abuse |
    • melissa

      South Dakota is a state. And every school in that state will have guns.
      So to pull your kid out of "that school" you'd have to move out of the state.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:41 pm | Report abuse |
    • RJ Jacobs

      This seems too loose. Volunteers? I can see trained security personnel, but "anybody who has a gun and is free from 8 to 3pm" doesn't qualify in my book. Trained security or nothing.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:59 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Portland tony

    It probably makes sense in rural areas where law enforcement personnel are spread out covering 100 mile or more sectors!

    March 8, 2013 at 6:18 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Van

    That's a great idea. Now our kids have the same protection as our president...

    March 8, 2013 at 6:23 pm | Report abuse |
    • RJ Jacobs

      I dont see in the article where it says Secret Service teams – but okay, we'll go with your "conservative" catch phrase of the day.

      March 8, 2013 at 7:00 pm | Report abuse |
    • BOMBO

      The President is protected by a bunch of untrained and unregulated volunteer yahoos?

      March 8, 2013 at 7:02 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Marc Mouallem

    They day someone brings a gun to that school I am sure know one will be saying I wish they didn't have guns. This fear of guns is what causes those who use them maliciously to be so effective. However, guns are extremely dangerous, and without extensive training measures like this can do far more harm than good.

    March 8, 2013 at 6:26 pm | Report abuse |
  7. MiniImates

    Does this mean ANY ADULT who participates in school can bring a loaded gun? Will the State be taking mental status of all teachers, janitors, etc. before they give the guns? This is starting to look more like mini-prisons with armed guards walking the hallway. All we need now are razor gates and guard dogs.

    March 8, 2013 at 6:34 pm | Report abuse |
  8. fernace

    A handy gun has often escalated an arguement into a fatal situation! Just an observation!!

    March 8, 2013 at 6:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • G.Alan

      So has a handy fist, bat, knife, boot or lamp but are we going to ban them?

      March 8, 2013 at 6:39 pm | Report abuse |
    • Jim

      A handy gun has often prevented a criminal from accomplishing his crimes! Just an observation!!

      March 8, 2013 at 9:13 pm | Report abuse |
  9. LG

    This is the stupidest idea anyone can come up with. What the hell is wrong with people?

    March 8, 2013 at 6:38 pm | Report abuse |
    • Reid

      Why do you say that, LG?

      March 8, 2013 at 6:40 pm | Report abuse |
    • BOMBO

      What is especially disheartening is the number of people who are posting comments in agreement. Orwellian. Like the guy above who honestly seems to think outlawing guns is somehow equivalent to outlawing fists.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:43 pm | Report abuse |
  10. BOMBO

    This is a joke, right?

    Please tell me this is a joke.

    In what strange parallel universe is it considered a good thing to have guns in schools?

    March 8, 2013 at 6:40 pm | Report abuse |
    • Reid

      You're right. Its better for the kids to be left unprotected so that Sandy Hook can happen anywhere.
      Right?

      March 8, 2013 at 6:41 pm | Report abuse |
    • G.Alan

      I belonged to a rifle team when I went to school... that was back in the 60's and to this day I've owned rifles and other firearms. Not once has any of them 'jumped up' and assaulted anyone. Really, Bombo, you're blaming a tool. Pens will be the next thing banned from schools because, my god, you could poke someone's eye out with one. Accept some common sense reality for once. Telling a nut with a gun that he's in a 'no gun zone' isn't going to prompt him or her to stop shooting.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:44 pm | Report abuse |
    • 1608

      What's wrong with guns in gun free zones? As you see some people like it.

      March 8, 2013 at 6:51 pm | Report abuse |
  11. ned

    Is this the vison of the more perfect union? All of this gun stuff violates my constitutional right to pursue hapiness. Did any of us dream that our grandchildren would grow up in a world where gated communities and armed guards everyone were normal?

    March 8, 2013 at 6:42 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    I think that it is a good idea.
    No program is perfect, but the presence of a "school sentinel" would deter many shooters.
    American school pupils have changed drastically since I was in public schools in the 1950s. The change is not good, but it is factual.
    Prompt bullets would have limited Lanza's death toll in Connecticut.

    March 8, 2013 at 6:42 pm | Report abuse |
  13. G.Alan

    Good thinking.

    March 8, 2013 at 6:45 pm | Report abuse |
  14. saywhat

    More steps towards establishing that we indeed are the nation which the rest of the world has come to scorn or laugh at during this past decade. I'm sure other states would follow.

    March 8, 2013 at 6:46 pm | Report abuse |
    • Triple Lindy

      With all that scorn maybe less of them will want to come here.

      March 8, 2013 at 9:19 pm | Report abuse |
  15. saywhat

    Guns everywhere and with everyone is now our cry. The nation which rest of the world has come to scorn or laugh at during the past decade.

    March 8, 2013 at 6:48 pm | Report abuse |
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