MARCH 19, 2025|
Photo – Carbon County School District #2 – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Wyoming state legislature, this year, repealed all gun free zones in the state, including those in schools.
At the start of the year, Carbon County School District Two administrators began a series of meetings to discuss the possibility of allowing staff to conceal carry firearms on school grounds.
On January 17, District Two Superintendent Darrin Jennings addressed residents at the Hanna Elementary School. Superintendent Jennings explained school staff have been permitted to carry firearms since 2017 under Wyoming state law 21-3-132. However, the decision to arm employees was left to the individual school districts. District Two chose not to enact a conceal carry policy at the time.
Citing the state legislature’s push to abolish all gun-free zones, Jennings recently asked the community if Carbon County School District Two should allow vetted and trained staff to carry concealed weapons while on school property.
Superintendent Jennings said the rash of school shootings across the country has left many parents concerned about the safety of their children who attend state-mandated schools. Allowing concealed carry by school staff is the district’s way to protect those students when they are away from home.
Attendees of the January 15th meeting in Hanna generally supported allowing school staff to conceal carry, provided those employees completed extensive training and regular proficiency testing.
Carbon County School District Two held additional conceal carry meetings in Encampment, Saratoga, and Medicine Bow.
The school board was set to vote on the matter during their regular meeting, on March 16th. Bigfoot99 was unable to attend the meeting. However, Superintendent Jennings reported the state legislature took the decision out of the District’s hands with the state-wide repeal of all gun-free zones, effective July 1st.
House Bill 172 states the board of trustees in each school district may adopt rules and regulations to govern employees and volunteers lawfully carrying concealed weapons on school property. If no rules or regulations are set forth, any employee or a volunteer with a permit to conceal carry in Wyoming may do so on school grounds, so long as they meet the state’s training and safety requirements.
For example, any person carrying a firearm must always have the weapon on their person or in a concealed biometric lockbox within their direct control. Additionally, the person must undergo at least 16 hours of live fire training and eight hours of nonlethal scenario-based instruction. The individual must be recertified at least once every year.
House Bill 172 allows school districts to waive some or all the training requirements for employees of schools in isolated rural areas. The bill does not allow students to carry firearms.
House Bill 172 was passed by both the Wyoming Senate and House of Representatives. Governor Gordon allowed the measure to pass into law without his signature on February 27th.
In a written statement to Bigfoot99, Carbon County School District Two Superintendent Darrin Jennings wrote that the District will work with its attorney to implement the state legislature’s plan.
