Citizens submit petition on concealed carry policy; board directs staff to route drafts to policy advisory committee

Patricia McCoy presented a petition submitted March 17, 2025, signed by qualified electors asking the board to consider a model policy titled "Firearms and Concealed Carry on School Property" in light of recently enacted state law. McCoy asked the board to review the model policy, place it on a future agenda, allow public comment and consider adopting policy language aligned with Wyoming statute she cited.

Board members noted the board must “consider and take some action” on petitions within 30 days under state law. The board’s legal counsel (on‑line) advised the trustees about applicable statutes and the district’s policy process and cautioned about statutory limits. Counsel said the new state law governs carrying and that the district may adopt training requirements for staff and volunteers but should avoid exceeding state authority in policy language. Counsel recommended staff engage the district’s policy advisory committee and coordinate with local law enforcement on training qualifications and instructors.

Board discussion covered several topics: whether the petition required immediate posting for public comment; whether the district should adopt the petitioners’ draft or use the district‑draft policy; liability and insurance exposure if an accident occurred on school property; whether to require firearm safety education as part of district curriculum; confidentiality for staff and volunteers who notify the superintendent they intend to carry; and how law enforcement would identify armed staff/volunteers during an active‑shooter incident. Participants named included legal counsel, the superintendent’s office, the district’s safety and security administrator (Mister DePorter), and the business/insurance contact (Mister Ciccarelli).

Multiple trustees said they opposed bringing firearms into schools in principle but acknowledged the district must comply with state law. The board instructed staff to: (a) place both the community petition draft and the district’s working draft before the policy advisory committee, (b) post both drafts online with feedback links for public comment, and (c) return a refined draft for board consideration at the next meeting so the board can decide whether to place a policy out for the 45‑day review required by administrative procedure. Counsel noted the board could pursue an emergency adoption if necessary to have a policy effective by July 1.

Ending: The board directed staff to send both drafts to the policy advisory committee, post them publicly to collect feedback, and return a consolidated draft at the next board meeting for potential 45‑day review.