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Franklin County schools to add radios, signs and firearm-safety lessons under new safety plan
Summary
The district said it has $96,480 in a public school security grant and outlined purchases — hand‑held radios, clearer hallway signage, replacement raptor scanners and shatter‑resistant film — and a new state‑required firearm‑safety lesson for K–12, with opt‑out for families.
Franklin County Board of Education staff told the board they have secured $96,480 in a public school security grant and plan to use the funds to buy handheld radios, improved exterior numbering, new interior signage, replacement raptor scanners and shatter‑resistant film for some doors.
Coordinated school health presenter Mr. Hawksmith said the radios are intended to provide a faster way for staff to initiate lockdowns when panic buttons fail because of poor reception. “I just received $96,480 in the public school security grant,” Hawksmith said. He added that the district intends to buy “radios or small walkie talkies” so staff can “lock the school down myself” without running to an office or relying on spotty cell signals.
Hawksmith described a series of lower‑cost, practical measures to help first responders find rooms more quickly, including larger, visible classroom numbers and interior directional signage. He also said some raptor visitor‑management scanners are aging and that replacements can cost about $700 each.
Nut graf: The board was briefed on near‑term, non‑structural measures that can be paid from a dedicated security grant and on a newly mandated K–12 firearm‑safety lesson required by state law. The presentation described what will be taught, who may teach it, and how families can opt out.
The presentation reported that Tennessee Code Annotated §49‑6‑1016 requires a firearm‑safety unit in K–12. Hawksmith described the substance: for K–5 the focus will be “stop, don’t touch, leave the area quickly, and tell an adult,” and for grades 6–12 topics will include firearm identification, basic home firearm safety and storage of firearms and ammunition. Hawksmith said the lesson is not hands‑on firearm handling or marksmanship instruction: “There’s no political stuff. It’s not handling firearms or shooting firearms.”
Principals will decide who teaches the lesson at each school; options mentioned included the school resource officer, a teacher coach or a counselor. Hawksmith said the district will provide a state‑produced agenda and that schools may combine firearm safety with other safety lessons (Halloween safety, water safety) rather than running separate sessions.
Families will be notified by letter, Hawksmith said, and the letter includes an opt‑out form: “They have to send it back, sign, and request to opt out of it,” he said. The presenter confirmed parents may access the full lesson materials on the Tennessee state website and said the district can add tips on safe gun storage to school and district web pages and social media.
The board asked whether the family letter contains storage tips; Hawksmith said the initial letter does not include detailed storage tips but the materials can be posted online and appended to future letters. He said printed tips and links can be added to school websites and the coordinated school health Facebook page.
Ending: The board did not take a formal vote on the safety purchases during the presentation. Staff said they will meet with the director of schools and with Homeland Security before finalizing purchases and will coordinate with principals on implementation and parent notices.
