District Giving Some Staff Access To Guns Gets State Loan For Other Safety Measures

An Indiana school corporation that gives some of its staff access to guns is getting a $500,000 loan from the Common School Fund to make other safety improvements.

That's the maximum amount school corporations can request. Legislators set aside $35 million as part of a new school safety loan program earlier this year.

The Indiana State Board of Education approved Jay School Corporation’s request for a $500,000 loan at its meeting Tuesday.

The district plans to use the money to make improvements that will restrict access to buildings and give them direct communication with first responders.

Superintendent Jeremy Gulley says they’ll also install additional cameras in schools.

"The cameras will be accessible by police so they can see what’s going on and get real-time intelligence in case there was an event," Gulley says.

The measures are aimed at providing more information in the critical minutes following a safety threat or incident.

Another part of the district’s safety plan that it’s funding with its own dollars includes giving some staff members who volunteered access to guns. The school board still has to approve the list of volunteers.

Gulley is lobbying legislators to change the law that dictates how districts can spend the loan money. He says schools should be able to use it to train and arm staff as necessary. 

"We do hope that the legislation will be changed to allow schools the ability to use these safety grant dollars that are available to schools to meet the local needs," he says.

Only a small number of schools have requested school safety loans since the state made them available.