School board adopts new weapons rules, approves liability renewal; firearm rider deferred for review

Teton County School District #1's board of trustees on a June meeting approved multiple policies tightening how firearms are handled on district property and approved a general liability insurance renewal while leaving a firearm-specific rider for later consideration.

The board unanimously adopted a policy explicitly prohibiting open carry of weapons on school property after Superintendent Chapman told trustees there were no changes to the proposed language. On a separate second reading, trustees approved policy KFC on concealed carry after adopting an amendment that removes a paragraph requiring the public to store firearms in a biometric lockbox and that adds a notification requirement. The new paragraph, read into the record by a trustee during debate, states that “anyone who chooses to conceal carry ... should notify the district and the on duty school resource officer of their possession of a firearm before entering school district property,” and that failure to notify could create confusion and risk of injury.

The board also approved KFA (public conduct on school property) and KF (community use of school facilities). An amendment that would have explicitly categorized outside users as volunteers subject to volunteer screening requirements failed for lack of a second; trustees debated whether screening every outside user for volunteer status would be practical or affordable.

District staff presented a renewal of the district’s general liability and cyber insurance and reported an additional firearm rider — to cover incidents specifically related to concealed carry on district property — priced separately at $30,674. The insurance representative asked the board to approve the general-liability renewal tonight to maintain continuous coverage and offered to defer the firearm rider until July. Trustees asked staff to provide full policy documents and details of the proposed rider before final approval; staff agreed to supply that information.

Why it matters: The adopted policies respond to recent state-level changes and aim to clarify responsibilities for staff, volunteers and members of the public on district property. The insurance discussion highlights a tradeoff between maintaining coverage now and deciding later whether to pay for an added rider that would respond to concealed-carry incidents.

What happens next: The district will finalize the general-liability renewal and provide trustees with the insurer’s full policy language; the board signaled it would revisit the firearm rider at the July meeting. Trustees also agreed to subject several of the policy changes to legal review and said they would reconsider any changes after counsel’s input.