WHEREAS, on June 1, 2022, the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives passed, and on June 13, 2022, Governor Mike DeWine signed, Ohio House Bill 99, which reduces the training requirement for school district employees, including teachers, who are not employed as special police officers or security officers, who a board of education authorizes to go armed with firearms, from more than 600 hours of training to 24 hours of initial instruction and eight hours of annual requalification training; and
WHEREAS, the Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education believes that the presence of firearms would create a dangerous environment in our schools, and threaten the lives and safety of students and staff; and
WHEREAS, the Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education believes that teachers and other educators in our schools, who educate, mentor and nurture their students should not be asked to arm themselves with deadly weapons in a misguided attempt to make their students safer; and
WHEREAS, the bill was opposed by the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Education Association, the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, and other education groups; and
WHEREAS, the Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education has the full support of the City of Reynoldsburg and the Reynoldsburg Division of Police in opposing HB99 and retaining the Board’s choice to continue to follow current policy; and
WHEREAS, the Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education previously released a statement denouncing HB99, but feels it necessary to take further action opposing HB 99 with this Resolution.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education does hereby declare and affirm that it will not exercise its authority under Ohio House Bill 99 to authorize any of its teachers or other employees, to convey or possess any deadly weapons, including firearms in any of its school buildings or on any school property under the Board’s control, other than law enforcement, security, and military personnel included in current Board Policy 1617, 3217, 4217, 5772, and 7217.
Reynoldsburg City Schools Board of Education
Debbie Dunlap, President
Angela Abram, Vice-President
Julie Towns, Member
Neal Whitman, Member
Mandy Young, Member