Idaho district buys rifles to protect school campus (with Video)

Several staff members at rural Garden Valley district have been trained on how to use the rifles in case of a security problem at the K-12 campus.
June 1, 2015

The Garden Valley School (Idaho) district has bought rifles and ammunition to protects students and staff in case of security threats.

KBOI-TV says the district has acquired four rifles for $680 each and 2,000 rounds of ammunition. The weapons are stored at Garden Valley's K-12 campus, and sheriff's deputies have trained a handful of staff members on use of the rifles. The district is also considering spending up to $2,000 to purchase extra magazine rounds and body armor vests, according to school board minutes.

"We just have to protect our kids and we didn't want to do it in a haphazard way," says Marc Gee, Garden Valley School District superintendent. "I have yet to have a community member come in and say 'why are you doing this?'"

Garden Valley is a rural community about 50 miles north of Boise. The district has an enrollment of a little more than 200 students.

Video from KBOI-TV:

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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