Coming soon to a school near you–guns. That’s right; thanks to dangerous legislation passed by our lawmakers and signed by our governor, schools will invite guns into the hallways and classrooms of our kids. It could be the school’s custodian, secretary or maybe even the lunch lady handing out a slice of pizza on Friday, gun holstered on her hip. This new state law will require every Utah school to have an armed guard on campus daily, ready to take on the task our police officers constantly train for–taking down the bad guy. This law is flawed, irresponsible and straight-up dangerous because it doesn’t address major questions of a lethal responsibility.

Like many laws passed and signed in this state, HB84 was not fully funded, researched or properly implemented. Parents who support this program have it in their heads some well-trained, discerning person with a wealth of combat experience and a body that could stop bullets is going to apply for the job. In reality, the job is a part-time volunteer position with a $500 stipend and no benefits. Furthermore, schools do not need to disclose to parents who in the school is carrying a loaded weapon. Dr. David Studdert, a professor of health policy and law at Standford University, researched gun safety and wrote, “Despite widespread perceptions that a gun in the home provides security benefits, nearly all credible studies to date suggest that people who live in homes with guns are a higher, not lower, risk of dying by homicide.” You can replace “home” with “school” and find the same outcome. More guns on campus does not equal more safety.

Proponents of the law believe proper training is key to the success of the guardian program. Utah long ago did away with the training required to obtain a concealed carry permit, so training will need to come from outside sources organized by the county sheriff via a county security chief. While these guardians would ideally be school employees, what happens if the school cannot find hundreds of educators willing to carry a gun? Does the job then come open to the public?

School resource officers are often split between several schools. Law enforcement officers go through years of training to understand not only de-escalation but when to use lethal force. Even then, it’s far more complex than those of us not in law enforcement can comprehend as is evidenced by several lawsuits over the use of force or the murder of innocent people like Sonya Massey. Police officers train for years, initially in the Utah Police Academy, then become a field training officer (FTO) for 14 weeks, followed by a required minimum of 40 training hours a year. In that time, the on-the-job training is constant as they de-escalate, communicate and survey how to treat each citizen with new, intense situations arising daily. There is literally no released plan on how so-called guardians will be trained.

This law also demands other security upgrades in Utah’s schools with officials saying there isn’t enough money to make it all happen. It requires schools to have emergency communication systems and threat reporting by state employees while also clarifying which information regarding bullying or hazing can be released to parents. With only $100 million set aside to make these security improvements to all 1,200 schools, including the training and implementation of the guardian program, the law isn’t set up for success. Fighting for resources among schools never turns out well.

Washington School District already implemented the guardian program this year. Steven Dunham, director of communications for the school district said, “We already have volunteers who have indicated their interest in being guardians in our buildings. They will now continue to go through the three-phase screening and training process with our county security chief, Sergeant Killpack, from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. We are planning on being fully staffed with guardians when the law goes into effect next year in August of 2025.” Dunham further informed me via email, “Those who have volunteered to be guardians are already employees in our schools. I don’t think they could be classified as guardians until they have gone through all of the training and approved by the Sheriff’s Office.”

Of course, we all want to crack the code on making our schools safer, to remove them from the target list of sick individuals seeking to kill our children. Arming staff and volunteers is just not it. My guts get queasy when I drop my kids off at school and when I think about the kind teachers standing in front of the class. I want them to have the best protection available. It starts by using money to pay for more psychological help for students at a younger age. It starts by using funds to implement other elements of this law, including bulletproof glass, buzz-in systems and trained resource officers. It isn’t having loaded guns invited into our schools.

While pieces of the legislation promote placing more safety measures in our schools, it missed the mark on a thoughtful policy, leaving key questions in limbo. And when the legislation involves guns, we can’t afford to have any angle not covered. The way to create a safe environment for children is not to have loaded weapons and untrained civilians mashed together in a school. It’s a certain type of person who voluntarily brings a loaded gun to school, the very people we’re trying to protect our children from in the first place.

Meg Sanders worked in broadcast journalism for over a decade but has since turned her life around to stay closer to home in Ogden. Her three children keep her indentured as a taxi driver, stylist and sanitation worker. In her free time, she likes to read, write, lift weights and go to concerts with her husband of 18 years.

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