School districts across America consider arming teachers in aftermath of Nashville school shooting

Since the beginning of 2023, there have been over 120 school shooting incidents across America, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. Last year marked the most incidents on record in American schools, causing many to worry about how to stop the record-breaking trend from continuing.

One month after an active shooter killed six at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, school security consultants reported many districts reconsider their safety plans in the wake of another shooting. For some, that involves discussions surrounding more guns on campuses.

In Spirit Lake, Iowa, the school board voted in late November 2022 to allow 10 non-teaching staff members to carry a handgun on campus – a policy that went into effect after staff completed hours of training with Peterson Firearms Training.

"When people drop their kids off at our school, they expect them to come home safely," Spirit Lake Superintendent David Smith said. "And with the rise in violence in schools, you know, you have to really think outside the box."

Smith agrees ...