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Teton County board outlines draft policies to respond to new concealed-carry law as parents urge resistance
Summary
Trustees reviewed several new or revised policies to implement Wyoming’s repeal of gun-free school zones and heard extensive public comment urging the district to resist implementation, require maximum training, and use property rules to limit firearms on school property.
Teton County School District No. 1 trustees spent a major portion of their May 20 meeting reviewing draft policies to respond to recent state changes that allow concealed carry in public places, including on school property under some conditions.
Superintendent Doctor Chapman outlined a package of eleven policy edits on first read, including a new staff/employee policy (GKA) limiting employee actions, a ban on open carry at school sites (KFB), a concealed-carry framework (KFC) that would set training and conduct expectations, and updates to student-focused weapons rules (JICI) that incorporate the state statute language. Chapman said the drafts add suggested signage and language asking visitors to store firearms off campus and propose higher training standards for any staff or volunteers who might lawfully carry.
The board’s discussion focused on scope and enforceability: trustees asked whether the rules should apply to visitors, contractors and volunteers as well as employees; whether references in the draft should cite Wyoming statutes rather than federal law; and how the district would handle community groups that rent facilities. Trustee Bosch said the board must preserve a baseline that keeps campuses closed to weapons unless statutory conditions are met and urged clear, enforceable standards for staff and volunteers.
The policy review preceded a lengthy public-comment period in which multiple parents and community members urged the district to resist implementation or to impose the strongest possible safeguards. Jo Newman told the board she appreciated trustees’ opposition to the legislation and cited surveys and law‑enforcement concerns, asking for a path forward that prioritizes student safety. Heather Smith asked the board to seek “maximum training requirements” and to use district property rights to limit access; she also urged greater transparency for parents if instructors or volunteers carry firearms on campus.
Speakers repeatedly requested that the board require rigorous scenario-based training and that parents be able to know whether staff who supervise their children would be carrying. Several speakers warned that perceived reductions in safety could drive families to withdraw from public schools.
Chapman said staff will circulate cross-references to Wyoming statutes and work with counsel on precise language; trustees directed the administration to return revised drafts for a June meeting. No final policy votes were taken; these items remain on first-read status with further edits planned before a second reading and final vote.
