'What does it tell a student?': Jackson-Madison Co. superintendent opposes arming teachers

Allowing teachers and staff to carry a concealed handgun in schools, Senate Bill 1325, was met with swift opposition from the superintendent of Jackson-Madison County School System on the same day it was signed by Gov. Bill Lee.

Originally introduced in January 2023, the bill permits faculty and staff to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds after extensive training and eligibility process.

Amending present rules prohibiting firearm possession on a school campus, Lee signed the measure on April 26.

JMCSS Superintendent Dr. Marlon King released a formal statement concerning the legislation later that day, among the first to voice opposition. Other districts like Metro-Nashville Public Schools and Memphis-Shelby County Schools have also opposed the legislative effort.

"With our school system being the second largest school system in West Tennessee, I think that we do have people that respect the work that we do, and when you have that level of respect, I think in my role, is influential," King said.

"I think in this role, there's a level of responsibility that I much have, and I think by putting it out there that I'm being very responsible for our system but also for the citizens of West Tennessee and Tennessee in general."

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In the weeks leading up to its signing, controversy surrounding the legislation brewed. King says he was inundated with emails and calls from concerned parents about what it would mean for their children.

SB 1325 aims to make exceptions for faculty and staff employed by a Local Education Agency (LEA) to carry a concealed handgun. It removes previous requirements like prior law enforcement experience.

Stipulations for an individual wanting to carry include complying with a psychiatric evaluation, fingerprinting and background checks, 40 hours of basic training in school policing, and 40 subsequent hours of training approved by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST), the entity responsible for upholding local law enforcement standards.

"Arming teachers, what does it tell a student? That this is the first conflict resolution that we use? That we're going to shoot you? Or do we work through plans and figure out how do we put a plan in place to make sure that we have the best environment and the safest environment," King said.

King will not sign agreement

A component of the bill mandates a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between local law enforcement, the school principal, and the school district.

Trusting both the existing safety measures and the school district's partnership with the Jackson Police Department and Madison County Sheriff's Office, King said he would not sign it.

"By working hand in hand with our local law enforcement — Sheriff Wiser and Chief Corley, we can ensure a swift and effective response to any potential threats, while maintaining the sanctity of our educational environment," he wrote in the April 26 statement.

Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley echoed King's sentiment of wanting to preserve safety in schools.

"The Jackson Police Department has a strong partnership with the Jackson-Madison County School System, and we share Dr. King's desire to maintain a safe and secure environment for students, faculty and staff. Our officers train and work closely with the System's security specialists and the School Resource Officers from the Madison County Sheriff's Office," Corley said.

"We stand ready to continue in these efforts and to provide our resources and support to the mission of school safety in Jackson."

"If we lean in on the fact that we're considering to arm our teachers, then what does that say about the current memorandum of understanding that we put in place to say that we're going to keep schools safe," King said.

Existing safety measures

Mentioned in his statement, was the effort by the Madison County Commission last year in October to approve funding for School Resource Officers in schools.

Despite nationwide hiring shortages in law enforcement, a concerted effort to secure additional SROs is ongoing.

JMCSS currently has 19 SROs across its 25 schools. Every high school has an SRO, while some middle and elementary schools share.

Different than SROs in that they are unarmed, JMCSS also employs security-guard-like individuals called Safety Specialists at every high school. Safety Specialists are hired by the school system, whereas the sheriff's department is responsible for hiring the SROs.

King noted Safety Specialists are more likely to become armed before teachers do but seldom see even that as a possibility.

"With that set-up, we feel very comfortable and feel very sure that the safety proposal and safety plan we have in place is the right plan for our current system," he said.

While safety specialists are exclusive to high schools, the district also has a contract with the security guard service Maxxguard at middle schools and elementary schools.

The SROs, Safety Specialists, and Maxxguard contract create a three-fold approach to protecting students and staff.

When asked by the Jackson Sun, the sheriff's department did not state whether or not Sheriff Julian Wiser would approve or disapprove arming teachers.

King says that before releasing his statement, he communicated with Wiser, who he said agreed that the current memorandum of understanding is strong.

"We have saturated the system with the level of safety support that we feel that we need," King said.

Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here.

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This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Jackson-Madison Co. superintendent voices opposition, arming teachers