Jay Curtis

Park County School District 1’s concealed carry policy was approved Tuesday night, just over a week before the first day of school Aug. 21.

The policy is largely the same policy submitted for first reading in July that outlines responsible use, covers disciplinary actions and prohibits any carry by students. The sole addition to the policy from the first reading covers the use of biometric lock boxes by staff. 

Employees can use a “secure, high-quality biometric lock box for the temporary storage of the firearm while on school district property, provided that the lock box remains under the immediate control and supervision of the employee during work hours,” the policy reads. When an employee needs to briefly leave the room or office they can put their firearm in the box provided it is in a locked cabinet with the room locked and no students present. The weapon cannot be stored overnight, and violating the provision means an employee is subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. 

“After discussion at the last meeting, the only two sections that we did add is a section that allows the use of biometric lock boxes, which is as per statute. But, the statute was very ambiguous on certain terms, one of those being direct control, what that means,” Superintendent Jay Curtis told the board. “So in consultation with our school district attorney, we decided to define what direct control means.”

Direct control is defined in the school’s policy as “on the person,” in the physical possession of the person carrying the firearm or in a biometric box within a locked cabinet, drawer or safe in the employee’s class or another approved location. In this case the box must be locked in a room or office students can’t gain access to while the gun is stored in the box.

“Situations where the concealed weapon is kept in a secure location and not on the person or in their physical possession shall not last more than twenty (20) minutes,” the policy reads. 

Unlike other districts such as Cody that opted to undergo the rule making process and outline training requirements for staff, PCSD1 district opted to only enact a policy in part to keep the rights of staff equal to other members of the public who can carry concealed on school grounds.