Board votes to post proposed concealed‑carry rule for 45‑day public comment; debate centers on training, waivers and federal preemption

The Laramie County School District #1 board of trustees voted to place a proposed rule on concealed carry by employees and volunteers on school property out for a 45‑day public review and comment period.

Staff said the proposed rule implements the Wyoming law that repealed the state’s gun‑free school‑zone restrictions and that the legislature left specific rulemaking on employee and volunteer training and methods of carrying to local boards. The draft rule requires that employees and volunteers who choose to carry a firearm on district property hold a Wyoming concealed carry permit, maintain the firearm on their person or in a concealed biometric container, and meet training requirements set out in the draft. The rule as posted will be available for public review from May 6 through June 20 on the district website and in the administration building.

Miss Pauley (district legal staff) told trustees the draft follows statutory minimums and that the district consulted both the Cheyenne Police Department and the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office. The rule calls for: 16 hours of live‑fire handgun training, 8 hours of scenario‑based training and 12 hours of annual recurrent training (the 16/8/12 numbers reflect the statutory floor in the board’s draft). The draft also includes instructor qualifications, topics the curriculum must cover and a process to consult local law enforcement in course design.

Trustees debated raising those hour requirements. A motion to increase live‑fire training from 16 to 24 hours and scenario training from 8 to 16 hours failed on a 4‑3 vote. Trustees also considered language changes; the board removed a brief clause in the preamble (“to achieve this goal”) by unanimous vote before approving the rule for public comment.

Staff said the draft provides criteria for the board to consider waivers for “isolated rural schools” (the presentation identified Willitson, Gilchrist and Clawson as qualifying examples) where response times and local circumstances differ. Miss Pauley noted the board is not required to grant a waiver and that each request would be considered individually.

The draft addresses property owned by the federal government: Freedom Elementary School (on Department of the Air Force property) is subject to federal law and Department of Defense rules, the presenter said, meaning the district’s draft rule would not authorize carriage on that campus if federal rules prohibit it. Miss Pauley also told trustees that because the legislature did not appropriate a large training fund, the draft assumes training and equipment costs will be borne by the employee or volunteer unless the board chooses otherwise. Staff noted a small state appropriation exists but that it is allocated among districts by application and is insufficient to underwrite broad training costs.

Trustees were told that if the rule is posted for 45 days starting May 6, and the public comment period ends June 20, the board has options before the statute’s July 1 effective date: adopt on an emergency basis to bridge July 1 until the board’s next meeting or call a special meeting after June 20 to adopt a final rule.

The board motion to post the draft for public review passed; the board also approved the minor preamble edit and declined the larger hours increase. Staff will publish the proposal and a statement of reasons, accept public comment through June 20 and return recommended changes or a final draft to the board for consideration.