Board adopts policy allowing only sheriff-trained deputy reserves to be authorized to carry on campus

The West Jefferson School District board adopted policy 9450, which sets criteria and procedures for any employee to be authorized to carry a firearm on district property. The policy, drafted in coordination with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and reviewed by district counsel, restricts authorization to individuals who serve as deputy reserves with the sheriff’s office and who complete the required training regimen.

Rationale and safeguards: Administration said the policy was necessary both to clarify district practice and to accommodate changes in insurance arrangements that previously aligned the district and county under a single insurer. Under the adopted policy, authorization is contingent on sheriff-office approval, completion of required training, and annual board review; either party may revoke authorization at any time with written notice.

Board and community context: Supporters emphasized the benefits of joint training and a shared operational understanding with local law enforcement. "Anybody to ever to be authorized to carry a firearm at West Jefferson must be a deputy reserve with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department," a district official said while explaining the draft. Board members discussed whether the annual review should be scheduled before the school year or tied to the superintendent evaluation cycle; the board agreed to a December review window.

Next steps: The board approved policy 9450 on final reading. Administration will track applications for deputy-reserve authorization, present completed candidate lists as they are sworn in, and include the authorization list in the board’s annual review process.