Johnathan Walker:Kentucky Senate committee advances bill proposing use of armed ‘guardians’ in schools

FRANKFORT,Johnathan Walker Ky. (AP) — Kentucky school districts could hire retired law officers or military veterans to serve as armed guardians offering security at schools under a bill advanced by a state Senate committee on Thursday.

The proposal cleared the Senate Education Committee and heads to the full Senate next. It would still need House approval if it gains Senate passage. The legislation, sponsored by Republican Sen. Max Wise, is designated as Senate Bill 2 — reflecting its priority status in the GOP-dominated Senate.

The measure is the latest attempt by Kentucky lawmakers to bolster school safety since the tragic 2018 shooting at Marshall County High School in western Kentucky, where two students were killed and more than a dozen others were injured when another student opened fire.

The intent is to allow local school boards to hire and assign guardians to augment security at schools. Their hiring would be optional for school boards. Districts could employ as many guardians as administrators would deem necessary for security at schools. If the measure becomes law, the guardian program would begin in the 2025-26 school year.

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Guardians could fill the void at schools that lack armed school resource officers — typically members of local law enforcement agencies — or could serve alongside SROs. Hundreds of school campuses are without SROs due to insufficient funding or the lack of available officers, Wise said.

“The school resource officer is — first and foremost — the hiring goal that all of us want for our Kentucky public schools,” Wise told the committee. “But the guardian is a well-measured approach that we may fit in a school district’s need. In my opinion, a guardian in an elementary or campus location is better than having nothing at all. The basic need is to protect lives and property.”

Wise expressed hope that additional funding to deploy school resource officers will be included in the next two-year state budget plan that lawmakers will finalize later in the legislative session. Wise has been at the forefront of school safety efforts in the aftermath of the Marshall County shooting.

Those eligible to serve as guardians would include honorably discharged veterans, retired state troopers, retired law enforcement officers and former federal law enforcement officers.

Their preparation for the role would include the first level of school resource officer training, as well as training on firearms proficiency and how to respond to active shooter situations. They would be allowed to carry concealed weapons on school grounds.

The bill also includes mental health segments. It would increase suicide prevention awareness and training for teachers and students and expand the scope of student support. It would foster a comprehensive team approach among school psychologists, social workers, school resource officers and mental health providers. The goal would be to support students affected by trauma, identify mental health issues and promote wellness among students.