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Board opens concealed-carry template for public feedback ahead of July 1 deadline
Summary
Trustees reviewed a proposed concealed-carry policy template and invited public feedback; speakers at the meeting urged either stricter limits or clearer volunteer definitions and emphasized use of available state training funds.
Sweetwater County School District No. 1 trustees presented a proposed firearms personnel authorized-to-carry policy for public feedback and said they will seek comments before deciding on final language.
The policy, based on a Washington School Boards Association (WSBA) template with local edits, was introduced for information and will be open for public comment at the board’s next meeting on June 23, trustees said. The board emphasized they do not plan to adopt final policy language at the June workshop and that the state requirement for some policy action by July 1 means districts are seeking short-term compliance options while continuing local deliberations.
Why it matters: The topic drew multiple public commenters who urged opposing approaches. Bill Formanek, who said he teaches junior high, argued forcefully against weapons in schools, saying “Guns do not belong in schools, period.” Rep. Darren McCann, a state lawmaker who spoke in support of the district’s effort, warned that the draft policy’s definition of “volunteer” is too broad and said the district should explicitly use state reimbursement for mandatory training (Wyoming statute 21-3-136), to avoid placing training costs on employees and volunteers.
Trustees described the draft as a local attempt to provide more guidance than the bare minimum of state law and to include suggested training and scenario-based instruction from local law enforcement. Multiple speakers urged the board to increase public outreach because the timing — over the summer — could limit community participation.
No formal vote on the concealed-carry policy was taken. Trustees said they will accept written and in-person public comment at the June 23 meeting and may revise the proposal before any adoption; if the board does not finalize a local policy by the state deadline, the district indicated it would revert to state-specified language.
