PITTSBURG, Okla. -- Pittsburg County School Board voted to approve four faculty members to carry firearms on campus.
"With all of the school shootings it’s kind of scary," said Sidney Jones, a senior at Pittsburg school.
School security has changed throughout the years. Administrators at Pittsburg schools are trying to be ahead of the curve by allowing faculty members to carry a gun.
"It has to be something small enough to where we can conceal it to where nobody notices that we have it on us," said Chad Graham, Superintendent of Pittsburg schools.
The protection doesn't stop in the classroom.
"At a ball game, academic bowl, carnival, anything, we want to have one person that is carrying at that event," said Superintendent Graham.
Signs are posted at every roadway approaching the campus and 15 stickers are placed at every building entrance, warning that they mean business.
"Sheriff’s department is 23 miles away and they understand that it’s going to take 30 to 45 minutes, up to an hour, to get here if anything does happen," said Superintendent Graham.
Those who volunteered and were approved by the board went through CLEET training, 72 hours of classroom training, and 24 hours on a gun range.
The armed staff needs to be re-certified every three years.
"It’ll be good to have kind of like reassurance that if something happens we know that teachers got our back," said Jones.
Superintendent Graham says the staff members will use their own firearms in hopes that they'll feel more comfortable using it if necessary. The school pays for the training through their general fund.
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