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Three Village district weighing voluntary arming of school security guards amid budget shifts
Summary
District official Dr. Scanlon told the board that the Three Village Central School District is negotiating terms to allow current school security guards to carry concealed firearms on a voluntary basis while continuing other security measures and responding to cuts that eliminated five pre-K guard positions.
Dr. Scanlon, a district official for the Three Village Central School District, told the school board that administrators are negotiating with employee units to offer current security guards the option to carry concealed firearms as part of a broader review of school security tied to this year's budget pressures.
The move follows a budget year affected by rising health care costs and program changes, Dr. Scanlon said. The district recorded about $5,000,000 in health care costs this year; a personnel transition saved roughly $900,000, he said. Security spending has also changed substantially over recent years, he added.
Dr. Scanlon said the district is proposing to arm its existing guards rather than hire an outside company because "our guards know our students. They know our families. They know our schools. They know our staff." He said most current guards are former law enforcement officers and that being armed would be strictly voluntary for those individuals.
The district has already made personnel cuts in its security unit tied to budget reductions: Dr. Scanlon said five positions were cut that had been assigned to pre-K programs at each elementary school. He said there remain security guards at each elementary school for arrival and dismissal and that principals will alert administration to any concerns during the school year.
On the arming proposal, Dr. Scanlon said the district would cover training costs, purchase the weapon selected, provide ammunition, holsters and lockboxes, and require concealed carry. "All the weapons would be concealed," he said. The district also plans to put in place ongoing checks of guards' mental fitness, description of which he called "a major requirement."
Dr. Scanlon told residents that the board directed administration to work with the security and administration units on how to negotiate compensation and implementation details; he said those discussions are ongoing and the board will revisit the subject at upcoming meetings. He encouraged parents and other community members to attend future meetings or submit comments by email.
No formal policy or vote to arm guards was recorded in the remarks; Dr. Scanlon described the proposal and the district's negotiating direction but did not report a board decision to adopt a policy.
Less-critical details from the presentation included an historical comparison of security spending: Dr. Scanlon said the district's security budget was about $500,000 in 2012 and about $3.1 million last year. He said cuts were made after repeated public notice during budget presentations and board meetings.
