Indiana teachers with school firearms access would face new training threshold under Senate bill

Any Indiana teacher or other school employee who carries or has access to a firearm on a school campus would be required to have a minimum level of training, under a proposal the state Senate approved Tuesday.

For years, Indiana has allowed local school boards to decide whether to allow firearms on their campuses. Most have not, although more districts have been considering it since high-profile shootings in Parkland, Florida, and a Noblesville middle school last year. 

Democrats raised objections to the idea of arming teachers, but schools could continue to do that, even without this bill or the training requirements it seeks to set.

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"We are merely providing the guardrails we think we need to have in place, should school districts continue to do this," said the bill's author, Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle.

Holdman said the training regimen is based on the model created by Jay County Schools. It's one of a handful of Indiana districts that do allow for firearms. Employees in that district do not carry the weapons, but they are locked in an undisclosed location in each school building. The district's superintendent, Jeremy Gulley, has been one of the most outspoken advocates for this training, testifying in various legislative committees this session. 

Holdman said he's been told the requirements in the bill, including a personality screening and 40 hours of training, will cost around $1,000. If schools do not want to pay for the training, they can prohibit firearms on campus. They can also apply for a state grant to cover the cost.

The bill's author, Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, set minimum training requirements for school employees who wanted to use state money to pay for firearm training. He said, though, he opposes making the training requirements a mandate for all employees who want to carry or have access to a firearm on school grounds.

The amended bill passed the Senate, 32-14.

Now it goes back to Lucas, who said he'll be dissenting from the changes. The bill will go to conference committee to work through the differences between the versions passed by the House and Senate.

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at (317) 201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.