JANUARY 15, 2025|
Photo – CCSD#2 Central Office – Bigfoot99 file photo
Carbon County School District Number Two officials will hold the first of several public meetings tonight in Hanna to discuss adopting a new firearms rule designed to keep children safe.
Carbon 2 School Superintendent Darrin Jennings, appearing on Bigfoot 99 Tuesday, said the rule was developed by state lawmakers. It is already in place in several school districts around the state.
Rule CKA, as it is known, would authorize specific employees to conceal carry on school grounds. According to the school district’s draft rule, employees who wish to carry a firearm on school property must submit an application to the Superintendent, who would then pass the application to the district’s Board of Trustees. The Board has the sole authority to approve or deny the employee’s application, for any reason, based on what the Board determines to be in the best interest of the school district. The Board may also limit the number of people permitted to carry firearms within the district or a specific school.
House Bill 172, now being worked on by the state legislature, is a response to so-called “gun free zones” in Wyoming.
The Carbon County School District Two Board of Trustees began crafting new school safety and security policies. Under Rule CKA, a school employee must possess and maintain a valid concealed carry permit issued by the state and have been employed by the school district for at least five years. However, the employee may ask the Board of Trustees to waive the time requirement.
Superintendent Jennings described the procedure for staff members to qualify.
An employee also must submit to a psychological exam administered by a district approved provider, a complete criminal background test, random drug and alcohol screenings, and pay for all required testing and equipment, such as lock boxes. The employee is also forbidden from disclosing the identity, location, or number of people involved in the concealed carry program.
Even if an employee completes all the steps to be considered to conceal-carry on school grounds, the district’s Board of Trustees has the final say and can deny the application for any reason.
Before adopting Rule CKA, Carbon County School District Two will hold a series of community forums to gather feedback from the public. The first meeting is scheduled for 5:30 tonight in the Hanna Elementary School, located at 300 3rd Street, in Hanna.
The meetings will continue into February, each held on Wednesday evenings.
On January 22nd, school officials will hold a similar meeting in the Encampment K through 12 School, with another meeting in the Saratoga Middle High School on January 29th. The final public meeting to discuss the issue is set for the Medicine Bow Elementary School on Wednesday, February 4th. All of the meetings are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
A final public hearing will take place during the regular school board meeting on Wednesday, February 19th at the CCSD2 Central Office in Saratoga at 2:00 p.m.
Finally, the Board of Trustees will vote on Rule CKA during their March 17th meeting at the Saratoga Middle High School.
The rule would authorize approved employees at each Carbon Two school to carry firearms on or in the property or facilities owned or leased by the school district.
If you are unable to attend any of the public meetings, you may submit online comments on the school district’s website, www.crb2.org.
For more information about the proposed conceal carry rule, call the Carbon County School District Two Central Office at 326-5271.
