On average, in Nebraska, one teacher is responsible for 18 students per class period. By the end of the school day, one teacher has to prepare to put their life on the line to ensure that 126 students stay safe at school.
A new bill, LB 1339, proposed in the Nebraska unicameral, would give local school boards the ability to add three new procedures for school districts around the state to implement if passed. It would give districts the option to come up with a safety plan to arm teachers and staff with handguns; it would allow qualified off-duty and retired law enforcement officers to legally carry firearms on school grounds, which are currently gun-free zones in most cases; it would provide grants for schools to develop individual detailed maps of emergency routes to give to law enforcement. Elkhorn has increased its level of security and is confident in its procedures.
“What our job is, as administrators, is to have safeguards and procedures in the building so that it does not have to come down to a teacher who is in the middle of a lecture, making sure they hit a checklist, but rather having it be these are our protocols, these are our procedures,” Schroeder said.
On top of prioritizing their students’ daily academic performance through lesson planning, teaching, tutoring, coaching, and being a trusted adult for their students to confide in, they also have to be prepared to protect their students at any given point throughout the school day. Elkhorn High has various drills and safety procedures in place to keep the building and everyone inside it safe. In addition to lockdown drills, there is also bullet-resistant film over the building’s exterior windows, an all-new security system, a head of security director for the Elkhorn Public Schools district, and all exterior doors are locked at all times during the day. Along with the current precautions, the administration and school officer meet every month to discuss school safety and possible improvements for the future. The Elkhorn school district takes many precautions to keep students safe to the best of their abilities, but new protective legislation is sparking controversy among Nebraskans.
Many people have concerns about the bill and its effects on schools. The bill is political compared to the other safety measures that have been placed in recent years. It dives into current discussions about gun control in America which is an extremely divisive topic between Republicans and Democrats. Regardless of the actions taken to protect schools, individuals are going to have opinions on the matter that differ from their peers. This makes it nearly impossible to create systems that are going to defend schools but also give parents and students peace of mind.
“I do appreciate the legislature that is trying to make schools safer. I don’t know if the answer is arming teachers, but every year there are new and better ideas,” Principal Mark Schroeder said. “While there are some measures that people are going to be contentious about, I think the conversation of school safety is one I am glad they are having.”
Alongside the bill discussions, Elkhorn High is discussing improving its safety practices by finding quicker and easier ways to lock all exterior doors on command and getting new radios that have mainline access to police stations. These radios would allow staff to contact the police immediately in an emergency instead of calling 911 and having to wait on the line.
“There is always something I think we have an obligation to learn from -as morbid as it sounds- we have to study what happened in Uvalde, and has happened in Parkland, and while their campuses are different from ours, it is important to study these exact things,” Schroeder said.
Teachers currently play an essential role during emergencies like lockdowns. They have to stay vigilant at all times and be ready to lock doors, turn off lights, hide themselves and their students, and keep everyone as quiet as possible. LB 1339 would add another layer to the lockdown procedure by allowing teachers to carry guns and possibly use the firearm against any intruders that may come between them and their students.
“Elkhorn Public Schools does a pretty good job,” math teacher Timothy Peterson said. “But I think that it (arming teachers) is a lot of weight to put on teachers.”
The addition of firearms on school grounds could potentially change student-teacher relationships and alter students’ trust in teachers and staff. Those who were previously trusted adults could now be seen negatively by some students.
“It would freak me out a little bit,” junior Maureen Kubicek said. “I think it would always be in the back of my mind that they (teachers) are armed.”
However, those who have grown up around firearms may feel indifferent or even more comfortable with guns present in the classroom. They may feel that it would add an extra layer of security to schools rather than a possible mishap waiting to happen.
“I would feel pretty indifferent about it,” a junior boy who wishes to remain anonymous said. “I’ve grown up around guns my whole life so I wouldn’t feel any more or any less safe. I just think it’s a necessary precaution in case something were to happen, the same way on fire alarms.”
The proposed bill would require extensive training for teachers and staff. The teachers would have to become certified to handle a gun, and school districts would have the option to establish a written policy for teachers to handle a firearm. However, there are other licenses and permits to be considered. The concealed carry license permits citizens ages 21 and older to carry and conceal a handgun anywhere in their state under the Concealed Handgun Permit Act (Nebraska.gov).
“I do not want to carry one,” media specialist Leigh Geis said. “I have taken a concealed carry class, and I did well at the firing part, but I do not want it (a gun) on me.”
As Nebraska legislators consider passing LB1339, some Iowa school districts have already given their staff permission to carry a firearm if preferred to do so.
In 2022, Iowa conducted a safety plan that included the training of teachers to have their Concealed Carry licenses. Siouxland Christian School District concluded they would rather be proactive versus reactive in the discussion of school safety and implemented a teacher-carry policy. Throughout the school year, monthly training is required for staff at the school who decide to carry a gun.
Elkhorn is not in that position yet, but if the bill passes, that could change. As the unicameral debates whether to enact this bill, members of the Elkhorn staff discuss whether or not teaching would still be worth it if asked to carry a firearm.
“I did not sign up for a job where I have to think about harming one of my students,” Peterson said. “I do not think you can ask any teacher to do that. I do not think that is something that we want to do.”
Teachers have spent their careers with a multitude of responsibilities, but the addition of firearms would drastically affect the regard of teachers. To lead students to academic success, offering a safe environment for students and building reliable relationships with them is already a hefty task for a single person on a daily basis. The introduction of firearms would potentially threaten every aspect of the teacher-student relationship and learning experience.
“There are just too many things that can go wrong with firearms being around students, especially if they are not aware that it is on a teacher or in their classroom, so it would be better to put more school officers in the building instead,” Kubicek said.
Given the choice of whether or not to carry firearms, many teachers were either neutral or willing to adapt to the situation. Teachers throughout the state would have to go through training and be able to responsibly handle a firearm to ensure the utmost safety for their students.
“I don’t think it would bring me to the place of quitting,” science teacher Edwin Weist said. “I think that I would just get the training and be prepared. I mean there are a lot of things that have changed. The laws have changed a lot over the years, and teachers have had to adapt to this as well.”
The responsibility to protect and ensure student safety remains a number one priority for the staff of Elkhorn High School. With the countless jobs teachers take on throughout the day their persistent effort toward the student body does not go unnoticed. Teachers and staff are constantly being asked to take on more work and in the case of LB 1339, for some it may be one responsibility too many.
“As teachers, we didn’t sign up to be law enforcement; that is not in our nature,” Geis said. “It might be for some people that they have that, but we came to work with kids.”
