Armed Employees and School Policy: The Issues and Perspectives of School Employees Regarding Armed Personnel in a Rural High School Setting

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examines the perceptions of classified and certified staff members at a rural, Southwestern Ohio high school and was based on results from a 27-item questionnaire. The study covered three main topics: (1) perceptions of safety, (2) perceptions of armed employees, and (3) views on what procedures and limitations should be in place if a school were to adopt an armed employee policy. With results similar to previous nationwide surveys, 94.4% of participants believed their school is a safe place to work, however only 66.7% believed their school has sufficient procedures in place should a school shooting occur. Also the results indicated that 38.8% of participants would be willing to carry a concealed weapon on school grounds, 30.6% would not be willing to carry a concealed weapon, and 30.6% were unsure. While many of the participants believed that there is a need to fight back, they also raised concerns regarding teachers carrying concealed weapons such as: weapon security, training, and mental health stability. The results showed a significant difference between the perceptions of certified and classified staff in the following areas: (1) the sufficiency of current procedures; (2) having multiple teachers carry concealed weapons; and, (3) having multiple administrators carry concealed weapons. The research also indicated the need for schools to critically examine, discuss, and practice the procedures that are already in place in order to ensure that the current procedures are sufficient should an active shooting occur.