MEMPHIS, Tenn. — School districts across Tennessee now face a big decision thanks to a new state law: whether or not to arm teachers in the classroom.
In the past, some lawmakers believe the legislation could help schools with low numbers of school resource officers (SRO), especially in rural areas.
But since entering into the public consciousness, several schools across Tennessee have said they would not support arming their teachers, including Millington and Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS).
"I think meeting a measure of safety and general threats to an environment with another threat to an environment is not something that we want to participate in," said Dr. Marie Feagins, MSCS superintendent.
"While we await further guidance and legal advisement, I plan to bring a recommendation to prohibit the implementation of this law in our schools to our board this evening and Teacher Advisory Council next week," a spokesperson from Millington Schools said to ABC24 in a statement. "Some of my immediate concerns include the potential for accidents, escalated violence and creating an environment where firearms, rather than education and safety, take precedence."
Meanwhile, rural districts in the Mid-South also offer similar opposition. Dr. John Combs with Tipton County Schools told ABC24 the district, local police and the sheriff's office all sent a letter to lawmakers multiple times saying they did not agree with the upcoming law. Combs did value the option for districts to vote to decide against arming teachers, saying it was something they would exercise.
“We thought it was dangerous," Combs said. "I would’ve rather seen more legislation that added more money to what the governor put in last year to provide more resource officers in schools.”
In light of the Covenant School Shooting, $140 million was poured into putting SRO's in schools, but according to a state report in February, not everyone was taking advantage of the new funds. Only two-thirds of public elementary schools and three-fourths of public middle schools and high schools have dipped into the funds.
As it stands now, roughly 500 schools do not have SROs, according to Tennessee State Senator Paul Bailey, including some rural county schools and schools in parts of Nashville.
"There just aren't those individuals available with POST certification to work in those schools," Bailey said.
Schools districts are not required to enforce the law. Districts, principals and the head of local law enforcements must sign off on it before it becomes official.
This is not the first time Tennessee lawmakers attempted to arm teachers. According to ABC, a law was passed in 2016 to arm teachers in distressed counties. However, it was not implemented.