AKRON, Ohio — The Akron Public Schools' Board of Education voted unanimously this week to not arm employees after the passage of House Bill 99. 

HB 99, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on June 13, allows districts to decide whether to arm employees. It also lowers the required training hours for armed personnel from 700 hours to a maximum of 24 hours. 

For years, Ohio has allowed employees to carry guns on school grounds as long as it's approved by the school board. An Ohio Supreme Court ruling in 2021 though mandated employees to undergo 700 hours of peace officer training—the same number required of law enforcement officials.

In the resolution, members stated the district believes employees armed with weapons, unless it's an on-duty law enforcement officer, "would create a dangerous environment in our schools and on our property, and would threaten the lives and safety of students, staff, and the public."

It only strengthens previous policies set in place in reference to weapons on school grounds. 

The resolution "prohibits any person, including Board employees, from bringing on to or into, or possessing on or in, any school safety zone controlled by the Board, including the School District’s grounds and buildings, or while in or operating any Board vehicle, any deadly weapon, including firearms, or dangerous ordnance, unless the person is a law enforcement officer currently certified or licensed as such by the State of Ohio or the federal government, is on-duty, and for whom the District is within the officer’s jurisdiction." 

Akron Public Schools is among multiple school districts who have voted not to arm teachers following the passage of HB 99. Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cincinnati Public Schools and Dayton Public Schools all agreed to not arm employees.

The Akron Public Schools Board of Education, Superintendent Christine Fowler Mack, leaders from the Ohio Association of Public School Employees and the Service Employees International Union issued a joint statement on the decision Tuesday, agreeing to not arm employees on school grounds:

"Schools should be a judgment free environment serving as a safe haven for all children. This is what we seek to provide for the students in our district. We are saddened by the new law that permits the arming of school employees.  Let's be clear, we vehemently disagree that more guns are the answer [or more guns in schools are the answer].  We believe that permitting teachers and staff to be armed with weapons would make our schools less safe and increase the vulnerability of our students and staff.  Our district's focus is on educating students and shining a light on their greatest expectations and dreams. We only do this by ensuring that our schools remain safe and secure. 

Following the most recent school shooting in Texas, as a nation and state, we should seek to remain vigilant in resolving the ease with which individuals can access deadly weapons.  Law enforcement experts have attested that arming more school staff with guns would do little to nothing to protect themselves and their students from gun violence in an era when assault weapons remain easily accessible. 

We, therefore, stand united in calling for common-sense solutions to keep schools safe and opposing arming school staff.  We support the board's resolution and policy changes aimed at keeping our schools safe by refusing to use the option that this new law offers.  By doing so, we are keeping our focus on providing the highest quality education to all of our scholars."