Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent supports president’s gun control initiatives

TULSA - Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard said Wednesday he supports the president’s initiative for limiting access to assault-style military rifles and reducing the number of high capacity magazines.

"I do favor limitations on ammo, and assault riffles...," said Ballard.  "It's best for our kids."

Ballard said, as the person responsible for more than 40,000 students in his district, he feels the safest approach would be to limit who has access to ammunition.

He also said the idea of armed guards on every campus is too costly for schools and he calls the idea of arming teachers "foolish and a knee-jerk reaction."

Currently, Tulsa schools staffs around 20 armed officers who patrol campuses throughout the district.

instead, Ballard would prefer more funding to hire more teachers in order to build relationships that can help reduce violence in schools.

Other measures Ballard supports are better background checks and focusing on mental health, including bullying.