(UnitedVoice.com) – A student in Iowa died in a school shooting on January 4. Five people were injured, including the Perry High School principal. Another school in the state is taking action to keep its students safe.
Siouxland Christian School, a private Christian school in Iowa, has announced it will be arming some members of its staff. The staff members will undergo training, and they will remain anonymous. Fox News reported Superintendent Lindsay Laurich said it’s their hope the “layer of protection will never need to be deployed.”
The school is not telling anyone how many teachers will be armed. The secrecy is vital to “protect the staff who are taking this courageous responsibility.” She said the school had been considering the move for a year, but made a final decision this month. In a letter to the school community, Laurich stated that it is disappointing schools are the “target of those who wish to do evil.” She said they were continuing to pray for Perry High.
Siouxland Christian School isn’t the only one in the US that has taken action to protect its students. Manatee School of the Arts in Palmetto, Florida, a charter school that serves kids from pre-k to 12th grade, employs former combat veterans to guard the students. School officials took the step to hire the guardians after the Parkland, Florida, school shooting left 17 dead in 2018.
There are three guardians at the Florida school, one each for the elementary, middle, and high school. They carry AR-15-style guns and Glock handguns with them. In February 2019, officials told The New York Times that they weren’t “looking for a fair fight” if a gunman tried to enter one of the buildings.
The Iowa school isn’t looking for a fair fight, either. Laurich explained that “school safety is [their] highest priority.”
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