Armed security will be coming to the campuses of Lyme-Old Lyme Schools. The school board voted to go ahead with the plan despite some pushback from parents.
A lot of parents felt like this process moved too quickly, but they weren’t successful in slowing it down.
“I’m against it. Look, it’s a bit of a rushed policy,” said Dave Rubino of Old Lyme.
Parents packed a meeting as the Lyme-Old Lyme school board debated and then voted to arm their current security guards.
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“I think what we’re doing is a feel good move and I would question whether it would really improve the security of our schools,” said Diane Linderman of Old Lyme.
Most spoke out against the plan, including how having guns in schools would affect students in Region 18.
Though an online survey found a more mixed response.
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“I ask the board to take the word of Lyme-Old Lyme graduate and a combat veteran and protect the children the parents entrust to you,” said a community member.
Emotions are still on edge several weeks after the massacre at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Some showed up to learn more about the proposal.
“It’s a sad state we have to even consider it, but at the end of the day we do want our children safe,” said Eric Olsen of Old Lyme.
With police sometimes not close by, the district said arming security will help reduce response times.
“We believe this will allow us the opportunity to stop a potential shooter before they cause significant harm to students and staff members,” said Ian Neviaser, superintendent of schools.
The superintendent points out a lot of districts in the state already have some type of armed security.
And he said they’ve been looking at safety improvements for years which include already installing shatter-proof windows, shades on doors and now potentially having guards with guns.
“We have never said and will never say this is the singular solution to this problem. This is one of many, many, many solutions that we have put in place,” Neviaser said.
The hope was to have this beefed-up security for the start of the next school year.
It’s expected to cost up to nearly $50,000 a year to help cover staffing, insurance and gun costs.
