The Billings Public Schools board looked at a policy that would allow appointing a school employee to be certified as a school marshal.
“The marshal program really is taking that language and giving it more substance,” said Dr. Erwin Garcia, School District 2 superintendent. “So number one is not like I select personally, but the board selects someone that has gone through the process who has been a vetted.”
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The school marshal would be able to possess, carry, or store a firearm and would need to meet some qualifications, including a permit to carry a concealed weapon, be certified by Montana Public Safety officer standards and a background check.
“Not necessarily as an officer, but it's going to be in the location where we have a situation,” Garcia said. “That that person can have a a gun which is a deterrent, who can then defend himself and not against kids which was mentioned. But we're talking about a world where people attack other people.”
Garcia said policy allows him to authorize an employee to carry a gun.
“I could have created as, you know, a series of expectations, training and guidelines and all of that,” Garcia said. “But we haven't gone to that point, o that is the reason why we brought policy.”
And not everyone likes idea of authorizing a school marshal who would be able to carry a gun and be there for safety reasons.
“I think it's important that we don't start going down the path of just more armed adults,” said Ione Young, part of Moms Demand Action and a trainer for the Be Smart program. “That has not proven to be effective.”
“I feel like the district is doing something that isn't evidence-based and it's not based on peer reviewed research,” said Kiely Lammers, a parent.
No one spoke in favor during public comment of authorizing a marshal to carry a gun.
“If we needed more armed staff, which I believe we do not, we should hire more (School Resource Officers) who have undergone extensive training to possess a firearm in a school setting,” one woman said during public comment
“I wonder where we draw the line if we say this person, would be allowed to carry a gun would next year another kind of a person would be able to carry a gun,” another woman said.
But the district does see the benefits.
“This is not opening the floodgates for teachers, coaches and random employees, myself included, to have a a gun,” Garcia said. “That's not what we want.”
