PARMA, Ohio — A Parma City School District vote to allow certain staff members to be armed this upcoming school year has roused up a heated debate.
Some parents believe students will be safer, while others feel their kids are in more danger. Superintendent Charles Smialek stressed to 3News that only a small, select number of staff will be allowed to carry a firearm in school buildings.
"Some folks are thrilled, from what we've heard, that we're taking this next step to keep our students safer," Smialek explained to us Thursday. "Some folks are appalled. They're under that assumption that the more guns in a school, the more dangerous it is."
The school board voted unanimously on July 20 to allow certain staff to be armed with a firearm.
"We will take very close measure of who we actually arm, and that's an important part for our parents to understand," Smialek said.
According to Smialek, for a staff member to be armed, they must first be approved by the school board through an intensive process and then be trained by the Parma Police Department.
"If we can save even 10 seconds of response time because a staff member's armed, as opposed to waiting for an outside law enforcement agency to respond, that 10 seconds could mean dozens of lives, quite literally," Smialek continued. "So, our job is to make sure that we have as many steps in place as possible, and this is one more step to take to make sure that we can — in the event of the worst — respond as quickly as we possibly can."
WKYC asked Smialek if teachers will be armed. He answered he doesn't envision teachers carrying, but said technically, they will be allowed to per the policy.
McKenna Breuler, a parent of a Parma third grader, said she appreciates the new policy.
"I actually feel a sense of relief, and hopefully it does make sending your kids to school safer," she remarked.
However, she understands both sides of the issue.
"Definitely safety concerns," she acknowledged. "Could it go off and somebody's injured? And also assuring that it is in the right hands."
3News asked Smialek multiple times how many staff would be armed and he told us he can't give any details on that, as they don't want potential threats to know that information. He said secrecy will maintain an element of surprise if any intruder was to enter a school. He also explained that armed staff will have to get recertified twice a year to be able to keep their concealed carry in their school buildings.
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