Idaho district buys rifles to protect school campus (with Video)
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:
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Mike Kennedy
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Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.