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. Dan

    This just gives the school board the right to allow certain staff to be armed and this law isn't all that unusual. Just because the board can allow it doesn't mean they will, or for all staff. The could say only trained security officers be armed, for example.

    March 8, 2013 at 9:08 pm | Report abuse |
  2. brent

    before u make a comment u should reseach into it. to be a armed person with this law in schools u have to get approval by local law informent and by the school board and u have to get trainning not just anyone can walk in and start carring a weapon in the schools

    March 8, 2013 at 10:06 pm | Report abuse |
  3. bambi

    Oh brent. Oh alan.

    March 8, 2013 at 10:33 pm | Report abuse |
  4. jackie

    my concern would be what is the teacher going to do to prevent the kids from getting hold of the gun? What if they forget to lock it up? What if the teacher goes crazy?

    March 9, 2013 at 12:16 am | Report abuse |
  5. Rod Wood

    The lunatics have taken over the assylum

    March 9, 2013 at 3:05 am | Report abuse |
  6. Graham

    As a someone living in England I can honestly say I am glad we don't have such a culture of private gun ownership. When the guy in New York was shooting last year, who was it who injured the innocent bystanders? Oh yes, it was the trained, armed policemen who panicked and started letting of shots indiscriminately.

    Only time will show if this is a good idea. It may prevent a madman/woman from carrying out a shooting, alternatively it may cause an escalation of deaths due to panic from those not sufficiently trained in dealing with armed attackers. Watch this space ............... I fear for you children, but I sincerely hope I am wrong.

    March 9, 2013 at 4:59 am | Report abuse |
    • ..

      Police in the UK are all unarmed? Really??

      March 9, 2013 at 3:51 pm | Report abuse |
    • Name s kel

      armed gang violence is growing in England. Police in England are becoming more armed.

      March 9, 2013 at 9:30 pm | Report abuse |
    • Triple Lindy

      Grapham
      Since you are someone living in England I can honestly say I am glad we (USA) have a culture of private gun ownership, otherwise we would not have been able to revolt against your country.

      March 10, 2013 at 8:49 pm | Report abuse |
  7. USA Bob

    Hmmm, and just when I was thinking of moving to South Dakota. Maybe when they start arming the students, all ages, even kindergarten kids.....then I'll move the family there, but not me!

    March 9, 2013 at 9:02 am | Report abuse |
  8. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    They'll go "teachal" on someone. Some kid will say, "I got an A cause he's got the gun".

    March 9, 2013 at 9:08 am | Report abuse |
  9. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    Nothing more than naive teachers doing law enforcements job for them. The new sequester trash.

    March 9, 2013 at 9:11 am | Report abuse |
  10. chrissy

    Well i sure hope they all have to have mental evaluations themselves first. And i do hope theres a secured plan in place for the weapons to keep kids from easy access!

    March 9, 2013 at 9:11 am | Report abuse |
  11. Stephen Real

    When South Dakota's first teacher or two starts killing their students wholesale. I will send the the Govenor in the land of morons a nice bouquet of flowers for winning the Dawin award for dumb of the century. Cheers!

    March 9, 2013 at 9:46 am | Report abuse |
  12. Graham

    i see that South Dakota is to pass a law permitting teachers to carry fire arms. Back in my day throwing a board rubber at a students head or rapping his/her knuckles with the edge of a ruler was sufficient to get their attention.

    March 9, 2013 at 11:07 am | Report abuse |
  13. bankrupt1

    Please stop the XL pipeline. thanks.

    March 9, 2013 at 1:55 pm | Report abuse |
  14. R. Aimes

    "South Dakota to let schools arm teachers"

    The tile is dishonestly misleading – nobody is going to ARM teachers. The law is simply going to ALLOW teachers to exercise their own choice in the matter – both those who wish to carry and those who don't.

    Choice can be such a weird concept when we disagree with it.

    March 9, 2013 at 6:56 pm | Report abuse |
  15. chrissy

    Well @ least the law goes into affect during summer vacation. That will give parents time to evaluate the teachers that will be armed and then decide to relocate if they dont like the outcome of the evaluation.

    March 9, 2013 at 7:45 pm | Report abuse |
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