Policy CKA Passes on Third Reading

It’s official – beginning next school year, students in Park County School District 6 will have armed staff ready to protect them.
Amid controversy, but after they say they explored the matter thoroughly, Trustees for the district voted 4-2 to pass on third reading Policy CKA, which allows for armed staff as a measure of protection.
Discussion on the matter, including public comments, took over an hour and a half at last night’s meeting, with amendments being made to the end by board members. Trustee Stefanie Bell was not present at the meeting, but called in when the time came to begin voting on the issue.
Nine people stood up to either support the board in their decision, or to urge them to reconsider, citing the dangers of having guns in the school building where they might accidentally become accessible to students.
Press Stephens pointed out that just because a majority of the residents supported the idea of armed staff in a random survey, that doesn’t mean that the board should simply follow the will of the people.

Another speaker, Bob Berry, called for Trustee Tom Keegan to recuse himself, because his wife is a member of the activist organization Wyoming Rising-Northwest, and Keegan’s children participated in a student-led walkout tied to the school shooting in Florida.
Former Trustee Rebecca George made an appearance at the meeting last night, just a few weeks after resigning from the board for personal and family reasons. She urged the board to stay the course, and praised the members for their dedication to this issue.

After lengthy discussion and several amendments to wording in the policy, the board ultimately passed the measure, with Tom Keegan and Stefanie Bell voting against Policy CKA.
—(Bob Berry speaks before the Trustees at the April 17th Meeting – photo by Wendy Corr)