Samuel Case, FISM News
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A private Christian school in Texas is taking advantage of a state law that allows teachers to carry guns throughout the day.
Faith Academy in Victoria is the latest school to use a provision in Texas law to arm teachers. Unofficially known as the “guardian plan,” the policy allows “district employees to have access to certain firearms in schools, board meetings, and at school-related events,” according to a Texas NBC affiliate.
The “guardian plan” has been a viable option for years now, but requires an extensive evaluation process, including physical and psychological screenings. Employees accepted into the program are trained to act in high-risk scenarios such as a hostage situation.
However, Faith Academy will differ from other schools in that it will allow teachers and staff to carry guns on their person, the Victoria Advocate reports.
Principal Larry Long said the move has been considered for some time, but the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas pushed Faith Academy to make a decision.
“This isn’t a decision that was made lightly,” Long said. “It’s one that we’ve talked about for several years, but with the recent incident with Uvalde, really close to home … we need to do what we need as a school in order to protect our students.”
In the event of an emergency, Long believes it would take between five to seven minutes for police to arrive.
Florida’s Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd, previously told Fox News most shootings “are done between zero and five minutes,” which is often too fast for the police to arrive in time.
According to the Advocate, the school will also provide “a U.S. LawShield membership to armed teachers, which provides legal services related to weapons,” a policy that other school districts are implementing.
Earlier in the year, a Trafalgar/COSA poll provided to The Daily Wire found that 57.5% of Americans believe that “preventing properly trained teachers from carrying firearms in schools makes schools somewhat or much more dangerous.” Only 30.8% believe that arming teachers would make schools more dangerous.