LRSD Approves Unarmed Guards, Drops Armed Guard Recommendation
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: January 24, 2013
After months of debate over the need for armed guards in Little Rock schools the district's board failed to pass a proposal recommending armed guards across the district Thursday night.
LRSD Superintendent Dr. Morris Holmes supported the measure and pointed to a survey showing roughly 80 percent of parents and teachers who responded to some form of a survey overwhelmingly supported armed guards on school campuses.
Many of the board members said they were not ready to pass a resolution.
"I wouldn't take that job if they paid me $200,000, I would not take it. I cannot believe an expert would recommend one person for that position," says board member Norma Jean Johnson.
From her own military experience, Johnson said she thought she would need more than one armed guard to ensure safety. Many of the board members said they did not feel comfortable having more guns on campuses especially around elementary school students and the motion did not get a second and was therefore unable to move forward.
The board approved recommendations for having unarmed guards and asking Little Rock Police to provide more school resource officers. The district also approved a measure to install electronic keypads throughout the district to ensure more control access for security officials.
LRSD Superintendent Dr. Morris Holmes supported the measure and pointed to a survey showing roughly 80 percent of parents and teachers who responded to some form of a survey overwhelmingly supported armed guards on school campuses.
Many of the board members said they were not ready to pass a resolution.
"I wouldn't take that job if they paid me $200,000, I would not take it. I cannot believe an expert would recommend one person for that position," says board member Norma Jean Johnson.
From her own military experience, Johnson said she thought she would need more than one armed guard to ensure safety. Many of the board members said they did not feel comfortable having more guns on campuses especially around elementary school students and the motion did not get a second and was therefore unable to move forward.
The board approved recommendations for having unarmed guards and asking Little Rock Police to provide more school resource officers. The district also approved a measure to install electronic keypads throughout the district to ensure more control access for security officials.
