America has been battling one pandemic for over a decade: school shootings. States have attempted to solve this problem, and the school district is considering one solution: a designated person, or people, on campus who will be armed at all times.

There is already a law supporting this solution. Texas has been training educators and urging the training of gun safety for years. The issue has become more prevalent recently in light of the Uvalde shooting. 

This solution faces controversy across the state. The policy is already being implemented in small towns, like Utopia ISD, just North of Uvalde, due to the school’s distance from the nearest police station. Teachers are allowed to carry guns in case of a crisis after undergoing 80 hours of training, a written test, a psychology exam, a firearms test, and previously holding a state handgun license.

While other schools don’t have on-campus police officers, Joshua ISD does. If the officers are unable to react during a crisis, there isn’t much an ordinary citizen could do, much less a teacher. Educators put their lives at risk every day. The occurrence of school shootings has unfortunately become very common. It is not right to ask educators to put themselves even more at risk by arming teachers and making them the protectors of the school. 

Joshua ISD is proposing one undisclosed person undergo training to carry a handgun in defense of the school. While the prospect of additional protection does seem reassuring, there is no guarantee that their identity will remain a secret. In the event that their identity is made public, students and faculty will become aware of one more gun on campus. This could lead to any number of problems. The possibility of an individual with malicious intent coming into possession of the firearm is just one horrifying example. 

This solution is still in its planning stages, so there is time for the school board to change its mind or instill more provisions for a safer school environment. While the school can always be safer, adding another gun on school grounds is not the way to do it.