Concord committee hears pediatrician on adding secure gun-storage education to weapons policy

The Communication and Policy Committee of the Concord School Board heard a presentation Jan. 29, 2025, from Dr. Christine Snow, a Concord pediatrician and vice president of the New Hampshire chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, urging the district to add secure gun-storage education to its weapons policy.

The committee considered a preliminary draft of Policy 44 and discussed adding an educational component that would offer families resources on secure firearm and ammunition storage, distributed at least once a year and included in the parent–student handbook. Dr. Snow said “greater than 41% of New Hampshire residents own guns,” and told the committee that, because state law places few restrictions on who may carry firearms, schools should emphasize practical storage and family conversations to reduce accidents.

Dr. Snow walked the committee through three resource toolkits she recommended: the American Academy of Pediatrics gun-safety toolkit (available in English and Spanish), the Be SMART for Kids materials and posters, and Sandy Hook Promise programs that focus on social connection and early warning signs. She described the AAP handouts as “very easy to access, easy to download, and distribute,” and suggested a short handout or video for parents and facility users rather than classroom lessons for young children.

Superintendent Kathleen Murphy said principals support adding an education piece but stressed that all materials used in schools must be vetted by the district’s curriculum review process. Murphy told the committee principals favored targeting adults and families with the messaging, and noted the district could use Concord TV, superintendent and principal newsletters, and the parent–student handbook to distribute resources. She also described incidents where community members brought firearms on campus events and said staff had asked them to store weapons in their vehicles while on site; Murphy said people had been cooperative but that visible firearms could cause anxiety among students.

Committee members discussed the wording of the draft policy, including defining “secure storage” and the scope of materials for families, staff and facility users. Jim Richards urged that facility users, volunteers and staff be given clear access to the same resources as families. Committee chair Karen Meeker said she would prepare a clean first-reading draft that adds a purpose statement, numbering consistent with district style, and a definitions section (including secure-storage language) to be reviewed at the next meeting.

No formal vote on the policy was taken; the committee closed the weapons discussion to move on to other agenda items and agreed to revisit a clean draft at a future meeting. Next steps identified: staff will vet any proposed education materials through the curriculum review process, include the policy and resources in the parent–student handbook, and consider Concord TV or short videos/posters for distribution.