COLUMBUS, Ohio — School districts across Ohio will soon be able to arm their staffs with firearms with less training than a law enforcement officer needs.

Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, signed the controversial bill Monday despite school advocates, police unions and others saying it would have dangerous consequences.

“In life, we make choices and we don’t always know what the outcome is going to be,” DeWine said shortly after making House Bill 99 law.

The bill drops the number of hours of training a teacher and other school staff need to carry firearms in schools from more than 700 to 24.

DeWine said the Ohio School Safety Center, which will do the training, will also require eight hours of requalification every year.

“There’s nothing more important to me than protecting children, and we’re going to continue to do this as long as I’m governor,” DeWine said.

DeWine said the law is not mandatory for districts to implement but gives them the option.​ Schools will have to tell parents if they choose to do so.

Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Township, the sponsor of the bill, said after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 students and two teachers dead, he heard from lawmakers and constituents to “do something.”

“I am proud to be a part of this moment of in fact doing something that will without a doubt protect students and staff,” said Hall.

The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio disagreed and called the bill “dangerous.”

Melissa Cropper, with the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said it should not fall on teachers to be put in this position. She said her deepest fear is that it will create a false sense of security.

“That now the expectation is that teachers will be the frontline security for stopping an active shooter in a school situation,” said Cropper. “And that, that will reduce the pressure to actually do something substantial about reducing gun violence.”

As for the “do something” line, it was the same one people in Dayton cried out after nine people were killed and dozens more wounded in a shooting in Aug. 2019.

“It’s a complete bastardization of what people said in Dayton, frankly,” said Nan Whaley, Democratic candidate for governor.

Whaley, the former mayor of Dayton, said House Bill 99 is not what people want and it will not help prevent more mass shootings.

“Think about this. Teachers will need 180 hours to renew their teaching license so they can teach your kids, but only up to 24 hours of training to carry a gun around them. That is insane,” said Whaley. “For Mike DeWine, safety is just a campaign talking point. He doesn’t actually give a s— (expletive) about whether you or your family are safe.”

School boards could require more training besides what the bill calls for. ​House Bill 99 goes into effect in 90 days.​