T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper shares his thoughts on legislation that would allow teachers to carry firearms with the Marshalltown Community School District board of education on Monday night. He was brought in, along with Bobby Shomo and Eric Weeden, to speak during the regular board meeting.

A bill that would allow school districts to arm school personnel — House File 2586 (HF2586) — took center stage during the Marshalltown Community School Board meeting on Monday.

Superintendent Theron Schutte said they wanted to have an open discussion and asked District Safety & Security Coordinator Eric Weeden, Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper and Bobby Shomo with Shomo-Madsen Insurance to speak.

“I think particularly with the timeliness of the Perry tragedy that occurred — similar to Uvalde, similar to Sandy Hook — any time those tragic events happen, there’s all kinds of ideas that get thrown out there,” Schutte said.

He said they have had state authorities applaud the school district for the safety measures and actions which were put in place before the Iowa School Safety Initiative was launched in 2022. The district was awarded the Iowa School Safety grant through the initiative, which provided $50,000 for each building to improve safety and security. The funds have put the district in a position to seriously ramp up the safety efforts beyond what was already done, Schutte said.

The proposed bills would both enhance and create challenges for the school district, he said.

Weeden told the board there is no easy solution to stop random acts of violence, and school shootings typically end within five minutes or less.

He said there are a couple of pros to HF2586. The first is that the staff can choose whether or not to receive training, which would be provided quarterly by local law enforcement.

“Because of the response time of law enforcement, this individual would potentially be able to address the situation sooner than law enforcement,” Weeden said.

One con would be having an armed staff member can create even more chaos and confusion for law enforcement when they arrive on scene.

“Teachers’ primary role is to teach, and that is what they are trained to do,” he said. “First responders are trained to respond.”

Weeden said having armed personnel might also cause the district’s insurance carrier — EMC — to drop coverage. EMC, he said, covers most of the school districts in Iowa, and they have not been supportive of the movement. When the Spirit Lake school district decided to arm trained staff, EMC informed them their coverage would be discontinued.

Weeden also asked who would ultimately decide on which staff members would carry firearms. He also wanted to know if there would be an extra stipend for those personnel — more money for the extra responsibility. Ideally, another school resource officer (SRO) would be hired instead.

“However, I do support the hiring of vetted, armed security personnel, or retired law enforcement who are trained in these situations,” Weeden said.

Tupper said he was concerned about HF2586, but every time he talks about it, he is accused of being “anti-gun.”

“I’m not anti-gun,” he said. “But I’ve carried a firearm, professionally, everyday of my life for the last 32 years. I know how difficult it is.”

There is a lot of training and commitment to firearm safety, Tupper said. Teachers already have a lot going on in the classroom. He asked if the teacher would be able to protect the firearm in the classroom.

“I’m concerned the legislation is an effort to find an easy or simple solution to a very complicated problem,” Tupper said. “It’s probably going to result in some safety consequences, unintended consequences that no one cares to talk about at this point because they are looking for an easy solution.”

He agreed with Weeden’s suggestion of hiring armed professionals who are focused on security and do not have other duties. The Marshalltown Police Department would help maintain training, Tupper said. However, if the board decides to arm teachers, the police department will still help, he added. While the board’s decision has the support of the chief, he advised them to be careful and think about unintended consequences of arming teachers.

“I’ll just tell you, professionally, I think it’s a bad idea,” Tupper said.

Shomo, who is a fiduciary of EMC, said he was speaking as a representative of his insurance company. He stressed he is not an officer nor underwriter of EMC. HF2586 intends to provide legal immunity to SROs and teachers, Shomo said.

“Legislators are posturing that will make it easier to secure insurance with qualified legal immunity,” he said. “I don’t know that legal immunity has been defined clearly enough.”

The bill does not specify how negligence would apply. Shomo asked what it would look like in court if someone who is trained professionally makes the best call they can, but the call is wrong. It is a significant issue, he said.

The posturing, Shomo said, might pull other insurance carriers into the mix to offer coverage, but there are only two companies in Iowa that cover school districts.

“I find it almost laughable our legislators think that gun control will bring more carriers in,” he said. “I don’t see that.”

There is a possibility the immunity might attract companies from surplus markets who could cover the specific issue. If HF2586 is passed, it will start conversations with the insurance industry, Shomo said. However, he said he cannot say what those conversations will result in.

Schutte said he heard nine percent of all gun related deaths in school are accidental.

“If that is the case, I think you have to think about the people, children, adults who unintentionally are harmed or killed in these circumstances,” he said. “To think there should be immunity, no recourse for the family in those circumstances is somewhat shortsighted.”

Tupper said police officers do have that immunity, and they have to deal with lawsuits after every shooting. While law enforcement win every lawsuit pertaining to a lawful shooting, they still have to spend money on it.

He said he worries about accidents — for example, guns are heavy, someone sets it down, forgets about it and someone else picks it up.

In other business, board members:

Heard the recommendation of hiring Marshalltown High School Principal Jacque Wyant as the new Director of Human Resources and Equity. She will replace Nora Ryan, who accepted a leadership role in human resources with West Des Moines Community Schools.

Determined students and staff will not make up the last snow day of the school year. For students, that day is May 30. For staff, it is May 31 but they will be paid for it as a show of gratitude for their service.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.