Unpacking Arming Teachers Laws

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From the Headlines

A seventeen-year-old student was in class when her teacher and a classmate began to argue. Her teacher told her that if she didn’t take her side, she would be in danger. The teacher then pulled a gun out of her bag, with her finger on the trigger, and said, “I wish y’all would keep messing with me.” 

The student’s family was stunned. Her uncle expressed his disbelief that “not only [would] somebody in a position of authority [. . .] be carrying a gun in school, but then constantly threatening children with it, that’s unheard of.” 

The classroom was no longer a place of safety. “Every morning, it’s a fight with my dad about me not wanting to go to school,” she said.¹Stephanie Wade, “Chicago Public Schools Student Alleges Teacher Threatened Her with Gun,” ABC7 Chicago, May 22, 2023, https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-public-schools-gun-in-school-george-washington-high-teacher/13285641/; Alyssa Donocan and Peter Curi, “Chicago Public School Teacher Removed after Allegedly Threatening Student with Gun,” WGNTV, May 23, 2023, https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-public-school-teacher-removed-after-allegedly-threatening-student-with-gun/.

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Introduction

Active school shootings remain a significant source of fear for students, parents, and educators, deeply influencing how safety is both perceived and managed in educational environments. Although these events are relatively rare when compared to other acts of daily gun violence, they nevertheless warrant urgent, effective, and evidence-informed solutions. Moreover, they are nested within a broader and troubling reality of gun violence: more than 1,000 incidents of gunfire have occurred on the grounds of K–12 schools nationwide since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in 2012, directly exposing over 1 million students to gun violence;¹Everytown Research analysis of Gunfire on School Grounds in the United States, 2013–2025, and National Center for Education Statistics school population data, 2021. Everytown tracks every time a firearm discharges a live round inside or into a school building or on or onto a school campus or grounds, as documented by the press. The database includes incidents that resulted in a person being shot and killed or wounded, as well as those in which a gun was discharged and no one was shot. Incidents on K–12 school grounds reported from January 2013 through July 2025. and in recent years, guns have surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death among children and teens in the US.²Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, WONDER Online Database, Provisional Mortality Statistics, Multiple Cause of Death, Injury Mechanism & All Other Leading Causes, 2013–2023. Ages: 1–19. 

The persistence of gun violence on school grounds across the nation has left parents, school districts, and legislators scrambling for solutions. In the wake of tragic mass shootings at schools, several policy proposals emerged to address this crisis.³Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, “Final Report, presented to Governor Dannel P. Malloy, State of Connecticut,” March 6, 2015, https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/malloy-archive/sandy-hook-advisory-commission/shac_final_report_3-6-2015.pdf; Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, “Initial Report Submitted to the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate President,” January 2, 2019, https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/CommissionReport.pdf. One such policy proposal that has gained traction over the past several years has been to arm educators and other school staff with firearms in the hope that an armed school employee would be able to immediately confront a potential active shooter without having to wait for law enforcement to intervene.⁴Mariano Castill, “NRA Clear on Gun Debate Stance: Arm Schools,” CNN, December 21, 2012, https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html. 

There is currently no scientific evidence that arming teachers reduces the likelihood of a school shooting from occurring, nor reduces the lethality of a shooting should one occur. Furthermore, existing work has underscored that the costs of arming teachers, both in terms of the financial cost and the risks it creates for school communities, appear to outweigh any meaningful potential benefits in emergency response. School districts across the US are being asked to make difficult decisions about this policy and its implementation, despite the lack of clear guidance or data. This report, therefore, seeks to provide details on how this policy is being implemented across the country, give clarity on what is known about its effectiveness, and contribute new data and information on the practice of arming teachers. Ultimately, a comprehensive approach to school safety must address the root causes of violence through proven policy and school-based interventions. The report provides recommendations to school districts on actions they can take to keep their schools safe.

Risks of Arming Teachers

1. Teachers cannot and should not be expected to perform the job of trained law enforcement.

The notion of a “highly trained” teacher armed with a gun is a myth. In states that have laws aimed at arming school personnel, armed school staff are required to receive significantly less training than law enforcement, and in some of these states, the law does not specify any minimum amount of training at all (see below).

Even highly trained law enforcement officers in the country experience a significant decrease in their ability to shoot accurately in an active shooter situation.⁵Bernard D. Rostker et al., “Evaluation of the New York City Police Department Firearm Training and Firearm-Discharge Review Process,” RAND Corporation, 2008, https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG717.html. For instance, a 15-year study of more than 100 incidents in which a Dallas police officer fired a gun at a suspect found that in only 54 percent of incidents the shot(s) fired by the officer hit the suspect.⁶Christopher M. Donner and Nicole Popovich, “Hitting (or Missing) the Mark: An Examination of Police Shooting Accuracy in Officer-Involved Shooting Incidents,” Policing 42, no. 3 (2019): 474–89, https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-05-2018-0060. These odds are lower for a schoolteacher with far less training and experience, leaving everyone around them exposed to the potential for grievous harm and increasing the risk of unintended injuries to those around them. 

Responding to an active shooter incident can be a very complex process.⁷Lana Bradstream, “Police Chief: Arming School District Teachers ‘a Bad Idea,’” Times-Republican (Marshalltown, IA), March 19, 2024, https://www.timesrepublican.com/news/todays-news/2024/03/police-chief-arming-school-district-teachers-a-bad-idea/; Brandon E. Patterson, “America’s Police Chiefs Call Bullshit on Arming Teachers,” Mother Jones, March 8, 2018, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/police-chiefs-call-bullshit-on-arming-teachers-sandy-hook-parkland-columbine/; Greg Toppo, “132 Hours to Train Teachers on Guns: Is It Enough?” USA Today, March 8, 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/08/132-hours-train-teachers-guns-enough/408525002/. Reports and analyses of mass shootings show friendly-fire,⁸Isaac Embry and Maxine Rose, “Police Chief Speaks on Fallen Officer Killed by Friendly Fire in UPMC Mass Shooting,” Local 21 News (Harrisburg, PA), April 30, 2025, https://local21news.com/news/local/police-chief-speaks-on-fallen-officer-killed-by-friendly-fire-in-upmc-mass-shooting; Ian Stewart, “Friendly Fire Killed Sheriff’s Sergeant At Thousand Oaks, Calif., Shooting Scene,” NPR, December 7, 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/12/07/674735191/friendly-fire-killed-sheriffs-sergeant-at-thousand-oaks-calif-shooting-scene. communication breakdowns, and poor coordination,⁹US Department of Justice, “Critical Incident Review: Active Shooter at Robb Elementary School,” Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2024, https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-r1141-pub.pdf; US Department of Justice, “Justice Department Releases Report on its Critical Incident Review of the Response to the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas,” press release, January 18, 2024, https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-releases-report-its-critical-incident-review-response-mass-shooting-robb; US Customs and Border Protection, “U.S. Customs and Border Protection Releases Findings of its Investigation of the Response to the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas,” press release, September 12, 2024, https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/us-customs-and-border-protection-releases-findings-its; Connecticut State Police, “After Action Report: Newtown Shooting Incident, December 14, 2012,” https://www.policinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/csp_aar.pdf; Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, “Initial Report Submitted to the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate President,” January 2, 2019, https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/CommissionReport.pdf. during responses to active shooter incidents. To introduce a new variable—armed teachers—into this equation would serve only to complicate the law enforcement response further.¹⁰Molly Hennessy-Fiske, “Dallas Police Chief: Open Carry Makes Things Confusing during Mass Shootings,” Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2016, https://lat.ms/2GpxGUw; Brandon E. Patterson, “America’s Police Chiefs Call Bullshit on Arming Teachers,” Mother Jones, March 8, 2018, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/police-chiefs-call-bullshit-on-arming-teachers-sandy-hook-parkland-columbine/.

“I have been a teacher for 22 years. Thinking that people charged with loving and caring and guiding children would also be the people charged with shooting and killing the same child who might walk into their classroom one day, it’s ludicrous. I can’t begin to imagine the day that I would be prepared to kill one of my own students. I just can’t.”

—Teacher in Austin, Texas¹¹Stefanie Sy and Courtney Norris, “Parents and Educators Weigh In on School Safety as More States Arm Teachers on Campus,” PBS News Hour, June 13, 2024, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/parents-and-educators-weigh-in-on-school-safety-as-more-states-arm-teachers-on-campus.

2. Accuracy is not everything; asking teachers to potentially take the life of a current or former student is unrealistic.

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An analysis of over five decades of active shooter incidents in K–12 schools found that in three in four of these incidents, the shooter or shooters were school-age and were current or former students.

New York City Police Department, “Active Shooter: Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation,” 2016, https://on.nyc.gov/2nWHM4O. The New York City Police Department defines an active shooter as “a person(s) actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” Everytown limited its analysis of this data to incidents that took place in K–12 schools and defined school-age as under the age of 21.

Aside from the technical ability of an armed teacher to shoot accurately under extreme conditions, policymakers must confront a harsh reality: most school shooters are current or former students.¹²Jillian Peterson and James Densley, “School Shooters Usually Show These Signs of Distress Long before They Open Fire, Our Database Shows,” The Conversation, February 8, 2019, https://theconversation.com/school-shooters-usually-show-these-signs-of-distress-long-before-they-open-fire-our-database-shows-111242; New York City Police Department, “Active Shooter: Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation,” 2016, https://on.nyc.gov/2nWHM4O. An Everytown analysis of the New York City Police Department’s report on active shooter incidents in K–12 schools over five decades found that in three out of four of these incidents, the shooter or shooters were current or former students.¹³Everytown Research analysis of New York City Police Department, “Active Shooter: Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation,” 2016, https://on.nyc.gov/2nWHM4O. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) defines an active shooter as “a person(s) actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” In its definition, the Department of Homeland Security notes that, “in most cases, active shooters use firearm(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.” Everytown limited its analysis of this data to incidents that took place in K–12 schools and defined school-age as under the age of 21. Expecting teachers to take the life of a current or former student in such a high-stress situation is both unrealistic and dangerous and sets an inhumane and untenable expectation.

3. Arming teachers shifts focus away from providing preventative mental health support.

In the past two school years, suicides on school grounds have outnumbered mass shootings.¹⁴Everytown Research analysis of Gunfire on School Grounds. From August 1, 2023, to May 31, 2025, there were 272 shootings on the grounds of K–12 schools, of which seven (2.6 percent) were suicides and five (1.8 percent) were mass shootings (defined as four or more people shot). Research also shows that many mass shooters expressed suicidal thoughts beforehand.¹⁵Tyler Hendley et al., “Shootings in the 21st Century: An Examination through the Lens of the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide,” Journal of Mass Violence Research (2025), https://doi.org/10.53076/JMVR40414; National Threat Assessment Center, “Protecting America’s Schools: A US Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence,” US Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, 2019, https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/Protecting_Americas_Schools.pdf; Jillian Peterson et al., “Communication of Intent to Do Harm Preceding Mass Public Shootings in the United States, 1966 to 2019,” JAMA Network Open 4, no. 11 (2021): e2133073, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.33073; National Threat Assessment Center, ”Averting Targeted School Violence: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools,” US Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, 2021, https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2021-03/USSS%20Averting%20Targeted%20School%20Violence.2021.03.pdf; Jillian Peterson and James Densley, “School Shooters Usually Show These Signs of Distress Long before They Open Fire, Our Database Shows,” The Conversation, February 8, 2019, https://theconversation.com/school-shooters-usually-show-these-signs-of-distress-long-before-they-open-fire-our-database-shows-111242; Jillian Peterson and James Densley, “Mass Shooting Database Version 9,” The Violence Project, 2025, https://www.theviolenceproject.org/mass-shooter-database/. This overlap underscores the need for proactive mental health support and avenues for students to alert an adult to concerning behavior from a peer. 

Schools that have experienced shootings are more likely to have an outsized number of police officers on site, but significantly fewer mental health professionals, such as nurses, psychologists, and counselors.¹⁶Keith L. Hullenaar, Frederick Rivara, and Eric J. Bruns, “Support Staff Distribution in K–12 US Schools That Experience Shootings: A Matched Analysis,” Preventive Medicine 196 (2025): 108296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108296. Arming teachers or staff could exacerbate this imbalance by diverting limited school funding away from student-focused resources, such as counselors, psychologists, social workers, and early intervention programs, which can help identify and support students in need before a crisis occurs. Prioritizing reactive policies over prevention can divert attention from the root causes of violence and eliminate chances for early intervention.¹⁷Tyler Hendley et al., “Shootings in the 21st Century: An Examination through the Lens of the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide,” Journal of Mass Violence Research (2025), https://doi.org/10.53076/JMVR40414; National Threat Assessment Center, “Protecting America’s Schools: A US Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence,” US Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, 2019, https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/Protecting_Americas_Schools.pdf; Jillian Peterson et al., “Communication of Intent to Do Harm Preceding Mass Public Shootings in the United States, 1966 to 2019,” JAMA Network Open 4, no. 11 (2021): e2133073, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.33073; National Threat Assessment Center, ”Averting Targeted School Violence: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Plots Against Schools,” US Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, 2021, https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2021-03/USSS%20Averting%20Targeted%20School%20Violence.2021.03.pdf; James Silver, Andre Simons, and Sarah Craun, “A Study of Pre-attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States between 2000 and 2013,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2018, https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/pre-attack-behaviors-of-active-shooters-in-us-2000-2013.pdf.

Warning Signs

A Secret Service study of perpetrators of targeted school violence found that 100 percent of the perpetrators of school shootings exhibited concerning behaviors beforehand and that in 77 percent of cases, at least one person, most often a peer, was aware of their plan.¹National Threat Assessment Center, “Protecting America’s Schools: A US Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence,” US Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, 2019, https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/Protecting_Americas_Schools.pdf.

Anonymous tip lines are an effective and evidence-informed solution to preventing school violence. In a study of the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS), a tip line developed by Sandy Hook Promise and implemented in middle and high schools, over half of firearm-related tips were classified as “life safety” events, necessitating an immediate response. The SS-ARS received tips related to interpersonal violence and suicide concerns, both of which are relevant to firearm violence and targeted school attacks.²Elyse J. Thulin et al., “Firearm-Related Tips in a Statewide School Anonymous Reporting System,” Pediatrics 153, no. 4 (2024): e2023063861, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-063861. 

Students are frequently using school tip lines to report others who are at risk of self-harm or are feeling suicidal, creating a critical opportunity for intervention when a student poses a danger to themselves or others.³Tyler Kingkade, “School Tip Lines Were Meant to Stop Shootings, but Uncovered a Teen Suicide Crisis,” NBC News, February 1, 2020, https://nbcnews.to/3gi4kpB; Oregon State Police, Safe Oregon, “Safe Oregon Annual Report, July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024,” 2024, https://www.safeoregon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SAFEOREGON-2024-Annual-Report-1.pdf; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of Attorney General, “Safe2Say Something Annual Report, 2023–2024 School Year,” 2024, https://www.safe2saypa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2023-2024-Annual-Report.pdf.

Without students’ participation—driven by their trust in the school—these programs falter, leaving those in need of support and the broader school community vulnerable.

4. Arming teachers jeopardizes trusting school environments, which are essential for ensuring school safety. 

Bringing guns into classrooms undermines students’ sense of safety and connection to others at school. Students in the US face numerous stressors resulting from the gun violence epidemic, magnified by media coverage, active shooter drills, swatting incidents,¹⁸According to the Congressional Research Service, swatting is “communicating a false emergency in an attempt to direct an armed police response to a certain target or location, often as a prank or means of harassment.” Peter G. Berris, “School Swatting: Overview of Federal Criminal Law,” Congressional Research Service, October 27, 2023, https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11063; Amy Rock, “School Swatting Threats: How Common Are They and What Do They Cost Taxpayers,” Campus Safety, March 4, 2024, https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/school-swatting-threats-how-common-what-do-they-cost/132470/. and repeated school lockdowns. All of these factors combined contribute to a diminished sense of safety and well-being among young people today. Students who dwell on these scenarios—especially those previously victimized—show higher levels of post-traumatic stress.¹⁹Pasha Dashtgard et al., “U.S. Youth Attitudes on Guns,” American University Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL), Southern Poverty Law Center, and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, 2023, https://www.splcenter.org/peril-youth-attitudes-guns-report; John Mahoney, Diane Kyle, and Gary Katz, “The Anticipation of Death by Violence: A Psychological Profile,” Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior 5, no. 2 (1975): 86–92, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1943-278X.1975.tb00315.x. Those who feel unsafe or disconnected from teachers and others at school are also more likely to engage in weapon-related violence at school.²⁰Teja Sai Pulavarthi et al., “Examining Associations between School Connectedness, Social Support, Violence, and Firearm Carrying,” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 39, no. 15–16 (2024): 3651–68, https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605241233267. Students need a trusting and emotionally safe environment, not teachers carrying guns. 

“My husband, who is a teacher, grew up hunting, recreational shooting, etc., and says he would never want to carry a firearm while working as a teacher. He has said that the teachers who want to be armed are often exactly the people who should not be carrying a gun.”

—Survey respondent, Moms Demand Action Supporter

5. Putting guns inside classrooms could exacerbate existing student safety problems.

Because teachers shape both achievement and school connectedness,²¹Jean A. Baker, Sycarah Fisher, and Larissa Morlock, “The Teacher-Student Relationship as a Developmental Context for Children with Internalizing or Externalizing Behavior Problems,” School Psychology Quarterly 23, no. 1 (March 2008): 3–15, https://doi.org/10.1037/1045-3830.23.1.3; Jantine L. Spilt et al., “Dynamics of Teacher-Student Relationships: Stability and Change across Elementary School and the Influence on Children’s Academic Success,” Child Development 83, no. 4 (2012): 1180–95, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01761.x. the presence of a firearm in the classroom alone could have a serious negative impact on student outcomes. Compounded with existing school safety challenges like unequal disciplinary actions and sexual misconduct, arming teachers could be extremely damaging to school communities: 

• This policy could influence teacher responses to conflict, leading to harsher discipline for Black students than for their peers.²²Jason A. Okonofua and Jennifer L. Eberhardt, “Two Strikes: Race and the Disciplining of Young Students,” Psychological Science 26, no. 5 (2015): 617–24, https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615570365; Emily Peterson, “Racial Inequality in Public School Discipline for Black Students in the United States,” Ballard Brief (Fall 2021), https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/racial-inequality-in-public-school-discipline-for-black-students-in-the-united-states. These disparities harm individual student outcomes, deepen racial inequities in academic achievement, and erode students’ trust that educators care about them and value their learning.²³Russell J. Skiba et al., “Parsing Disciplinary Disproportionality: Contributions of Infraction, Student, and School Characteristics to Out-of-School Suspension and Expulsion,” American Educational Research Journal 51, no. 4 (2014): 640–70, https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831214541670; Emily Peterson, “Racial Inequality in Public School Discipline for Black Students in the United States,” Ballard Brief (Fall 2021), https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/racial-inequality-in-public-school-discipline-for-black-students-in-the-united-states; American Psychological Association, “School Connectedness,” 2014, https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/school-connectedness. Research shows that racial bias influences use-of-force decisions: Black individuals are disproportionately shot more often and more quickly than white individuals.²⁴Yara Mekawi and Konrad Bresin, “Is the Evidence from Racial Bias Shooting Task Studies a Smoking Gun? Results from a Meta-analysis,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 61 (2015): 120–30, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2015.08.002. Such patterns suggest that armed teachers may also be susceptible to making biased and harmful decisions under stress.
• More than one in nine students report experiencing at least one form of sexual misconduct by an educator during their K–12 schooling, disproportionately affecting female students.²⁵Elizabeth L. Jeglic et al., “The Nature and Scope of Educator Misconduct in K–12,” Sex Abuse 35, no. 2 (March 2023): 188–213, https://doi.org/10.1177/10790632221096421. Sexual misconduct in schools could become even more dangerous or lethal under this policy, as abusers are known to use guns to exert power and control over their victims.²⁶Susan B. Sorenson and Rebecca A. Schut, “Nonfatal Gun Use in Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review of the Literature,” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 19, no. 4 (2018): 431–42, https://doi.org/10.1177/152483801666; Ruth W. Leemis et al., “The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Intimate Partner Violence,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 2022, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/124646. Research finds that male educators are both more likely to be perpetrators of school-based sexual misconduct²⁷Elizabeth L. Jeglic et al., “The Nature and Scope of Educator Misconduct in K–12,” Sex Abuse 35, no. 2 (March 2023): 188–213, https://doi.org/10.1177/10790632221096421. and more likely to seek the option of carrying firearms at school,²⁸Brandon Wood and Eric Hampton, “How Teachers Feel about Arming Educators in K–12 Schools: A Statewide Investigation,” Journal of School Violence 21, no. 2 (2021): 119–31, https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2021.2007115. creating a troubling scenario with heightened potential for harm. 

Students subjected to harsher discipline due to racial biases and those who report sexual misconduct often experience fear, disconnectedness, and difficulty concentrating.²⁹Elizabeth L. Jeglic et al., “The Nature and Scope of Educator Misconduct in K–12,” Sex Abuse 35, no. 2 (March 2023): 188–213, https://doi.org/10.1177/10790632221096421; Jonetta J. Mpofu et al., “Perceived Racism and Demographic, Mental Health, and Behavioral Characteristics among High School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January–June 2021,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 71, Supplement 3 (2022): 22–27, http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7103a4. Arming teachers introduces a constant threat of escalation, putting students who are already vulnerable at risk. 

6. Arming teachers introduces new liability risks and potential difficulties relating to insurance.

Implementing policies that involve arming teachers presents significant challenges for school districts, particularly in terms of insurance and liability.³⁰Christine McHugh, “Increased Risks and Costs of Arming Educators,” United Educators, December 2024, https://www.ue.org/risk-management/premises-safety/increased-risks-and-costs-of-arming-educators/; Milliman, “Arming School Staff: Insurance Considerations,” June 18, 2018, https://web.archive.org/web/20230814200502/https://www.milliman.com/en/insight/2018/arming-school-staff-insurance-considerations/; Tom Cullen, “Insurance Still Cloud Over Guns in School, Bill Arming School Staff Clears Legislature,” Storm Lake (IA) Times Pilot, April 19, 2024, https://www.stormlake.com/stories/insurance-still-cloud-over-guns-in-schoolbill-arming-school-staff-clears-legislature,58343; Agents of America, “Insurance Companies May Get the Last Say Regarding Arming Teachers,” accessed August 15, 2025, https://www.agentsofamerica.org/articles/insurance-companies-may-get-the-last-say-regarding-arming-teachers/; Marta W. Aldrich, “Tennessee Law to Let Teachers Carry Guns in Schools Caused a Ruckus, But Has Drawn Little Interest,” Chalkbeat, August 14, 2023, https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2024/08/14/school-safety-law-arming-teachers-with-guns-has-few-takers-in-first-yea/; Steven Yaccino, “Schools Seeking to Arm Employees Hit Hurdle on Insurance,” New York Times, July 7, 2013, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/08/us/schools-seeking-to-arm-employees-hit-hurdle-on-insurance.html. Districts are often compelled to independently finance all or some parts of these initiatives without explicit guidance or funding from state or federal authorities, leading to inconsistent implementation.³¹Christine McHugh, “Increased Risks and Costs of Arming Educators,” United Educators, December 2024, https://www.ue.org/risk-management/premises-safety/increased-risks-and-costs-of-arming-educators/; Sonali Rajan and Charles C. Branas, “Arming Schoolteachers: What Do We Know? Where Do We Go From Here?” American Journal of Public Health 108, no. 7 (2018): 860–62, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304464. This inconsistency poses substantial difficulties in reliably securing insurance coverage for such programs.

Insurance companies typically recommend employing third-party security personnel or collaborating with local law enforcement agencies over arming school staff.³²Tom Cullen, “Insurance Still Cloud Over Guns In School, Bill Arming School Staff Clears Legislature,” Storm Lake (IA) Times Pilot, April 19, 2024, https://www.stormlake.com/stories/insurance-still-cloud-over-guns-in-schoolbill-arming-school-staff-clears-legislature,58343; Samantha Hernandez, “Two Iowa School Districts Rescind Policies Allowing Armed Teachers in Class. Here’s Why,” Des Moines Register, June 26, 2023, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2023/06/23/spirit-lake-community-schools-emc-insurance-cherokee-county/70350452007/. This preference allows liability to be transferred to the contracted security provider or police department, thereby reducing the school’s direct exposure to risk. The third-party entity assumes responsibility for security training, protocol development, and incident management in this arrangement.

The first step in obtaining insurance when a school district chooses to arm its teachers is a comprehensive underwriting evaluation. These assessments scrutinize all liability factors. For arming school staff, these can include the relative strength of training programs, secure storage solutions for firearms, and the implementation of robust safety measures. Insurers often perceive the arming of staff as a considerable escalation in risk, which can lead to several potential adverse outcomes for schools, such as non-renewal or cancellation of insurance,³³Bernie Zalaznik, EMC Insurance Companies, Memorandum to Kansas Agents, “KS House Bill 2052,” May 15, 2013, https://web.archive.org/web/20130918163529/https://www.cjo-cdn.com/sites/default/files/new061913gunsinsurance.pdf; Robin Opsahl, “Insurance Questions Remain as Bill on Arming School Staff Advances,” Iowa Capital Dispatch, February 12, 2024, https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/02/12/insurance-questions-remain-as-bill-on-arming-school-staff-advances/; Samantha Hernandez, “Two Iowa School Districts Rescind Policies Allowing Armed Teachers in Class. Here’s Why,” Des Moines Register, June 26, 2023, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2023/06/23/spirit-lake-community-schools-emc-insurance-cherokee-county/70350452007/. higher premiums,³⁴Mark Kirchmeier, “Beyond Politics, Arming Teachers Could Cost Schools,” Columbia County Spotlight, April 6, 2018, https://columbiacountyspotlight.com/2018/04/06/beyond-politics-arming-teachers-could-cost-schools/; Kristen Moore and Craig Reynolds, “Firearm Risk: An Insurance Perspective,” The Actuary (June/July 2018), https://www.theactuarymagazine.org/firearm-risk/; Steven Yaccino, “Schools Seeking to Arm Employees Hit Hurdle on Insurance,” New York Times, July 7, 2013, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/08/us/schools-seeking-to-arm-employees-hit-hurdle-on-insurance.html. and exclusions in coverage for incidents involving firearms.³⁵Mark Kirchmeier, “Beyond Politics, Arming Teachers Could Cost Schools,” Columbia County Spotlight, April 6, 2018, https://columbiacountyspotlight.com/2018/04/06/beyond-politics-arming-teachers-could-cost-schools/; Kristen Moore and Craig Reynolds, “Firearm Risk: An Insurance Perspective,” The Actuary (June/July 2018), https://www.theactuarymagazine.org/firearm-risk/.

Some insurers have already refused coverage outright due to the outsized risk of arming teachers. When several school districts in Kansas sought to arm teachers in 2013, the insurance company that covers most Kansas school districts informed them that they would not insure such a dangerous practice.³⁶Bernie Zalaznik, EMC Insurance Companies, Memorandum to Kansas Agents, “KS House Bill 2052,” May 15, 2013, https://web.archive.org/web/20130918163529/https://www.cjo-cdn.com/sites/default/files/new061913gunsinsurance.pdf; Michael Hiltzik, “One Big Problem with the Idea of Arming Teachers: Insurance Companies Won’t Play Along, and for Good Reason,” Los Angeles Times, February 26, 2018, https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-arming-teachers-20180226-story.html; Todd C. Frankel, “One Roadblock to Arming Teachers: Insurance Companies,” Washington Post, May 26, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/one-roadblock-to-arming-teachers-insurance-companies/2018/05/26/59d6c704-5f7e-11e8-8c93-8cf33c21da8d_story.html. In 2023, two school districts in Iowa rescinded their armed staff policies because their insurer, EMC Insurance of Des Moines, refused to renew the districts’ coverage unless they reversed the policies, deeming the practice too risky under their underwriting guidelines.³⁷Samantha Hernandez, “Two Iowa School Districts Rescind Policies Allowing Armed Teachers in Class. Here’s Why,” Des Moines Register, June 26, 2023, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2023/06/23/spirit-lake-community-schools-emc-insurance-cherokee-county/70350452007/.

These decisions are evidence-informed: shootings are much more likely to occur in areas where large groups congregate and disperse outside on school property, such as sporting events and parking lots, rather than within the confines of school buildings.³⁸Everytown Research analysis of Gunfire on School Grounds. Of 1,064 incidents of gunfire on K–12 school grounds from January 2013 to July 2025, only 25 percent of shootings occurred inside school buildings, whereas 62 percent occurred in a school parking lot or other outdoor area, 10 percent occurred at athletic facilities, and 3 percent occurred in other or unknown locations. Therefore, the strategy of arming teachers—placing firearms in locations where shootings are less probable—fails to address the areas of higher risk. Additionally, introducing more firearms into the school environment, especially in the hands of individuals not contracted explicitly for security roles, exacerbates the overall insurance risk.

The cost of arming teachers extends beyond just obtaining insurance. Even if a state attempts to shield schools and teachers from legal consequences with immunity laws, these laws may not exempt schools or teachers from all legal liability, including federal civil rights liability. Teachers may be exposed to personal liability if they fail to comply with state laws or act negligently with a firearm.³⁹Christine McHugh, “Increased Risks and Costs of Arming Educators,” United Educators, December 2024, https://www.ue.org/risk-management/premises-safety/increased-risks-and-costs-of-arming-educators/; Marta W. Aldrich, “Tennessee Law to Let Teachers Carry Guns in Schools Caused a Ruckus, But Has Drawn Little Interest,” Chalkbeat, August 14, 2023, https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2024/08/14/school-safety-law-arming-teachers-with-guns-has-few-takers-in-first-yea/; Julia James, “Bill to Arm School Employees Raises Concerns about Liability,” Mississippi Today, March 24, 2023, https://mississippitoday.org/2023/03/24/mississippi-school-employees-arm-bill/; Jon Campisi, “School Districts Weigh Gun Policies For Staff,” Business Insurance, June 1, 2024, https://www.businessinsurance.com/school-districts-weigh-gun-policies-for-staff/; Bernard James, “Arming School Personnel: School Safety Reform & Liability,” National Association of School Resource Officers, 2015, https://www.nasro.org/clientuploads/legal%20articles/Arming-School-Personnel-School-Safety-Reform-and-Liability-JOSS-Summer-2015.pdf. Liability and immunity laws vary by state, but this potential legal exposure further complicates the decision to arm educators and increases the possible financial risks for school districts because even if schools can obtain insurance, their policies may not provide coverage in all cases.

The decision to arm teachers creates challenges for maintaining essential insurance coverage, exposing the districts, schools, and individual educators to potential litigation and significant financial liability during a time when schools and educators’ budgets are becoming more strained.⁴⁰David DeMatthews, “Trump Unfroze Education Funding, but the Damage Is Already Done,” The Hill, August 16, 2025, https://thehill.com/opinion/education/5454219-education-funds-frozen-schools-affected/; Alexandre Fall and Page Forrest, “Competing Forces Complicate State Education Funding,” Pew Cheritable Trusts, January 16, 2025, https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/01/16/competing-forces-complicate-state-education-funding?pse_map_data_picker=projenrollchange; Sarah Mervosh and Madeleine Ngo, “Why U.S. Schools Are Facing Their Biggest Budget Crunch in Years,” New York Times, June 26, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/26/us/schools-budget-cuts-pandemic-aid.html.

“The more guns that are coming into the equation, the more volatility and the more risk there is of somebody getting hurt.”

—J. Thomas Manger, then-president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association⁴¹Brandon E. Patterson, “America’s Police Chiefs Call BS on Arming Teachers,” Mother Jones, March 8, 2018, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/police-chiefs-call-bullshit-on-arming-teachers-sandy-hook-parkland-columbine/.

7. The multiple incidents of guns from armed staff being misplaced, stolen from teachers, fired inadvertently, or even intentionally, remind us of the daily risk of bringing more guns into schools.

Intentional and unintentional shootings, unfortunately, do occur on school grounds, a fact often cited by lawmakers to support Arming Teachers legislation. However, armed teachers and other non-security personnel are in no way exempt from contributing to the kinds of traumatic shooting incidents these policies aim to prevent. 

Even with extensive training, law enforcement officers and school security can unintentionally discharge their weapons on school grounds, with at least nine documented incidents across the US during the 2024–25 school year alone.⁴²Everytown Research analysis of Gunfire on School Grounds. During the 2024–2025 school year (August 1–May 31), there were at least nine incidents where a law enforcement officer, school resource officer (SRO), or other security personnel unintentionally discharged a weapon on the grounds of a K–12 school. In many of these instances, security staff were not in the vicinity of students when these shootings occurred; however, that may not be the case for an armed educator who spends far more time directly with students, which, compounded with the mental health impacts of gun violence exposure,⁴³Mohammed Abba-Aji et al., “The Mental Health Consequences of Interpersonal Gun Violence: A Systematic Review,” SSM – Mental Health 5 (2024): 100302, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100302. creates far more potential for direct harm. There have been numerous cases where school resource officers and other staff have lost⁴⁴Gerald Tracy, “School Officer Suspended After Leaving Gun in Middle School Restroom,” News 4 San Antonio, January 18, 2020, https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/school-officer-suspended-after-leaving-gun-in-middle-school-restroom; “Boy Finds Gun In School Bathroom In Miami,” CBS News Miami, October 5, 2018, https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/boy-finds-gun-in-school-bathroom-in-miami/; Becky Metrick, “Teacher Charged After Students Find Her Loaded Gun in Bathroom,” Public Opinion, September 13, 2016, https://www.publicopiniononline.com/story/news/2016/09/12/teacher-resigns-after-child-finds-her-loaded-gun-school/90280916/. or unintentionally discharged⁴⁵Mike Pescaro and Kristen Glavin, “Officer Pulled Gun from Holster, Accidentally Fired It in Cambridge School Bathroom, Police Say,” NBC Boston, April 12, 2024, https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/officer-pulled-gun-from-holster-accidentally-fired-it-in-cambridge-school-bathroom-police-say/3328023/; Dean J. Condoleo, “School Officer Wounded in Leg When Weapon Fires Unexpectedly in Ceres,” Modesto Bee, June 24, 2025, https://www.modbee.com/news/local/article309341525.html; Isabel Hughes, “Gun of Stanton Middle School Constable Accidentally Fires in School Hallway; No One Hurt,” Delaware News Journal, November 7, 2024, https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2024/11/07/delaware-stanton-middle-school-constables-gun-accidentally-fires-no-injuries/76108171007/. their firearms on campus, or more tragically, have died by firearm suicide on school grounds:⁴⁶Samira Asma-Sadeque, “Tennessee Teacher Found Dead in Classroom Before Start of School Day,” People, March 7, 2025, https://people.com/teacher-found-dead-classroom-before-start-school-day-11693077; Julianna Furfari, “Middlebury Schools Mourn Staff Member’s Suicide,” WSBT, March 27, 2023, https://wsbt.com/news/local/lockdown-lifted-following-emergency-at-northridge-middle-school-elkhart-county-developing-dismissal; Sean Emery, “Assistant Principal at California Middle School Dies on Campus of Apparent Suicide, Officials Say,” East Bay Times, March 15, 2022, https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/03/15/assistant-principal-at-placentia-middle-school-dies-of-apparent-suicide-officials-say/; “Student Remembers ‘Kind’ SRO Who Took His Own Life Inside Baltimore Co. HS,” CBS News, November 12, 2018, https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/school-resource-officer-suicide/. 

• A maintenance department employee, who was approved to carry a concealed weapon on campus as part of the school guardian program, attempted to remove his sweater, and his shoulder holster’s velcro came off, causing his KelTec P11 9mm pistol to discharge near a student.⁴⁷“No Charges in Utopia School Gun Discharge,” Uvalde (TX) Leader-News, August 3, 2023, https://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/articles/no-charges-in-utopia-school-gun-discharge/. 
• A loaded handgun brought to school by a teacher passed through the hands of at least two students after it was stolen from his backpack.⁴⁸Mark Price, “Student Finds Gun in Teacher’s Backpack and Both Are Facing Charges, Florida Cops Say,” Miami Herald, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article294338244.html.
• A teacher who was fired then returned to school with a Century Arms AKMS assault-style rifle in a guitar case and used it to kill the school headmaster and then himself.⁴⁹Ryan Nelson, “‘My School Shooter Was a Teacher:’ Jax School Shooting Survivor Speaks Out against Arming Teachers,” Action News Jax, February 14, 2019, https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/my-school-shooter-was-a-teacher-jax-school-shooting-survivor-speaks-out-against-arming-teachers/919745071/; Dan Scanlan, “‘Shane, No, No!’: New Details of Episcopal School Shooting,” Florida Times-Union, April 20, 2012, https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/crime/2012/04/20/shane-no-no-new-details-episcopal-school-shooting/15869192007/.

Arming Teachers Policies Across the United States

Fifteen states have laws explicitly allowing teachers and/or school employees to be armed.

As of September 2025, 15 states have laws explicitly allowing teachers and staff in K–12 public schools to be armed with firearms (the “Arming Teachers States”).⁵⁰FL, GA, IA, ID, KS, MO, MS, ND, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, UT, and WY. Some of these laws may also apply to private schools. These laws generally provide for specific programs that enable teachers or employees to carry guns in schools, or, in some instances, explicitly allow schools to grant permission to individual teachers or employees to carry. 

Two additional states have laws that permit individuals with concealed carry permits to carry firearms in public schools.⁵¹Oregon and New Hampshire. Laws in these states or others may provide similar authority for private schools. Several of the “Arming Teacher States” also allow concealed carry permit holders to carry in schools. These laws are generally intended to allow school visitors to carry their handguns in schools. A third group of states provides certain public school officials or school governing bodies with the authority to permit specific individuals to carry in schools.⁵²AK, AZ, CT, IN, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MT, NV, NJ, SC, VT, and WV. Laws in these states may provide similar authority for private schools; Arming Teacher States may also have similar provisions in their laws. New York law allows individuals with authorization of the educational institution to carry, which could include, for example, individuals authorized for security purposes, but the authorization may not be given to any teacher, school administrator, or other non-security school employee. These laws are frequently longstanding exceptions in states’ laws that were not passed with the intention of arming teachers. In each of these groups of states, there may be schools that exploit these laws to arm teachers and staff.⁵³Elenee Dao, “Arizona School District Allowing Staff, Public to Carry Guns on Campus: Officials Provide Little Detail on the Policy,” ABC15 Arizona, August 15, 2023, https://www.abc15.com/news/state/arizona-school-district-allowing-staff-public-to-carry-guns-on-campus. 

The training and licensing requirements for teachers and staff to carry guns in schools vary dramatically across the Arming Teachers States: they may include requirements such as background checks, psychological exams, and firearm training requirements. The following analysis focuses on the 15 Arming Teachers States to best examine the events that led to the rise of this policy and the potential risks of these policies across states.

The Origins and Evolution of Arming Teachers Policies

History of Arming Teachers Laws

Arming teachers legislation often emerges after high-profile shootings in schools.

For decades, the gun lobby and elected officials who are aligned with them have pushed to arm teachers in response to school shootings as part of a broader effort to normalize firearms in all areas of American life. This policy was first discussed following the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, though it did not gain significant traction at the time.⁵⁴Kalhan Rosenblatt, “Teachers and Guns: Inside a Firearm Training Where Educators Learn to Take Down Shooters,” NBC News, June 19, 2018, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/i-want-be-able-protect-them-after-parkland-some-teachers-n882261; David Rodriguez, “The Idea of Arming Teachers Is Part of a Predictable Cycle in the News,” Poynter, March 8, 2018, https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2018/the-idea-of-arming-teachers-is-part-of-a-predictable-cycle-in-the-news/; Kate Zernike, “Shootings Fuel a Drive to Ease Gun Laws,” New York Times, April 3, 2005, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/us/shootings-fuel-a-drive-to-ease-gun-laws.html. It was only in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, that arming teachers took hold as a central focus in the national debate on school safety,⁵⁵“NRA: Full Statement by Wayne LaPierre in Response to Newtown Shootings,” The Guardian, December 21, 2012, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/21/nra-full-statement-lapierre-newtown; Mariano Castill, “NRA Clear on Gun Debate Stance: Arm Schools,” CNN, December 21, 2012, https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/us/connecticut-school-shooting/index.html. championed at the time by the NRA, which promoted the policy through their School Shield Program.⁵⁶Nick Penzenstadler, “After Sandy Hook, the NRA Launched a School Security Program: A Review of Its (Minimal) Impact,” USA Today, December 14, 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2022/12/14/nra-school-safety-sandy-hook-grant-data-impact/10853782002/. This policy continued to gain traction in 2018 after it was recommended by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission following the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.⁵⁷Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, “Initial Report Submitted to the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate President,” January 2, 2019, https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/CommissionReport.pdf. Shortly thereafter, the Federal Commission on School Safety under the first Trump Administration became the first federal entity to endorse it.⁵⁸Federal Commission on School Safety, “Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety: Presented to the President of the United States,” December 18, 2018, https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/documents/school-safety/school-safety-reportpdf.pdf. Since then, the policy proposal has continued to reemerge at the state level following numerous high-profile school mass shootings, including those at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee; and Perry High School in Perry, Iowa.⁵⁹Matt Vasilogambros and Madyson Fitzgerald, “Republican States Arm Teachers, Fortify Buildings in Another Year of School Shootings,” Stateline, June 9, 2023, https://stateline.org/2023/06/09/republican-states-arm-teachers-fortify-buildings-in-another-year-of-school-shootings/; Kelly Puente and Stephen Gruber-Miller, “What States Allow Teachers to Carry Guns at School? Tennessee and Iowa Weigh Joining Them,” USA Today, April 19, 2024, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/19/states-allow-teachers-guns-school-classrooms/73383413007/. This proposal persists even though some schools where shootings have occurred had armed personnel on site who failed to stop the shooter,⁶⁰For example, an armed school resource officer was present at Columbine High School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; two police officers were at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas; and an employee who called 911 said that there were armed staff at The Covenant School. State of Colorado, “The Report of Governor Bill Owens’ Columbine Review Commission,” May 2001, https://schoolshooters.info/sites/default/files/Columbine%20-%20Governor’s%20Commission%20Report.pdf; Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, “Initial Report Submitted to the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate President,” January 2, 2019, https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/CommissionReport.pdf; Madison Czopek, “Armed Campus Police Do Not Prevent School Shootings, Research Shows,” Poynter, June 1, 2022, https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2022/do-armed-school-police-officers-prevent-shootings/; Nick Gray et al., “Nashville School Shooting Updates: School Employee Says Staff Members Carried Guns,” The Tennessean, March 30, 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/news/nashville-school-shooting-updates-emotions-105310470.html. research shows that death rates are nearly three times higher in schools with an armed guard present,⁶¹Jillian Peterson, James Densley, and Gina Erickson, “Presence of Armed School Officials and Fatal and Nonfatal Gunshot Injuries during Mass School Shootings, United States, 1980–2019,” JAMA Network Open 4, no. 2 (2021): e2037394, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37394. and there is strong opposition from students, educators, law enforcement, and other community members.⁶² Ryan Nelson, “‘My School Shooter Was a Teacher,’ Jax School Shooting Survivor Speaks Out Against Arming Teachers,” Action News Jax, February 14, 2019, https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/my-school-shooter-was-a-teacher-jax-school-shooting-survivor-speaks-out-against-arming-teachers/919745071/; Amanda Litvinov, “Arming Teachers Still a Terrible Idea,” NEA Today, June 10, 2024, https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/arming-teachers-still-terrible-idea; Brandon E. Patterson, “America’s Police Chiefs Call BS on Arming Teachers,” Mother Jones, March 8, 2018, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/police-chiefs-call-bullshit-on-arming-teachers-sandy-hook-parkland-columbine/; Gabriela Guerrero, “Thousands Sign Covenant Mom’s Letter against Arming Teachers in Tennessee,” WZTV, April 17, 2024, https://fox17.com/news/crisis-in-the-classroom/thousands-sign-covenant-school-moms-letter-against-arming-teachers-in-tennessee-public-schools-gun-legislation-politics-education-governor-bill-lee-nashville; Alex Mitchell, “School Board Rejects Armed Staff Policy Following Unanimous Community Opposition,” Billings Gazette, August 19, 2025, https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/education/article_4f2e35f4-a6ed-47ad-a059-ec950216c1b7.html.

Elements and Logistics of Arming Teachers Laws

Arming Teachers Laws generally do not force schools to have armed staff. Instead, a school governing body has the authority to decide whether to allow teachers or other school staff to carry a firearm.

Laws that allow school staff to be armed vary widely by state, making them difficult to understand and implement. In most states that allow teachers or staff to carry firearms, referred to as Arming Teachers States, the decision is left to local governing bodies, such as school boards. However, there are exceptions—Utah, for example, allows teachers to carry firearms without local approval, provided they meet specific requirements.⁶³Utah Code § 53-22-105. Some states mandate additional measures such as criminal background checks or psychological evaluations; others do not. 

The training requirements to become an armed teacher are minimal compared to basic law enforcement training in each state.

In most states that allow teachers to be armed, educators and staff are legally required to complete ​some level of training. However, the required number of training hours is often minimal, falling hundreds of hours short of the training mandated for law enforcement in the same states.⁶⁴Law enforcement recruits receive, on average, 833 hours of basic training, including 186 hours of training on weapons, active shooter response, self-defense, and de-escalation. Emily Buehler, “State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2018–Statistical Tables,” US Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2021, https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/slleta18st.pdf. In some cases, states do not specify a minimum number of hours or clearly define the content that the training must include. For example, the requirements to become a Class A peace officer in Missouri include a minimum of 600 hours of training, which must cover numerous subject areas, including fair and impartial policing practices, implicit bias recognition, handling persons with mental health or cognitive impairment issues, and tactical training such as de-escalation techniques, crisis management, critical thinking, or social intelligence.⁶⁵11 CSR 75-14.030.

State	Basic Law Enforcement Training Hours66These are training minimums as established by state law, regulation, or rules or standards set by the training body authorized to set such standards. Official uniform reporting on training across states is not available. Data was collected by Everytown from state statutes, regulations, government websites, and training providers. As available, the hours reflected in this table are the minimum hours for curriculum-based basic academy training. States or individual agencies may require additional training (including in the field) above the hours stated. The number of training hours for law enforcement officers and armed teachers may not be directly comparable, as law enforcement training typically covers a broader and more comprehensive range of topics, including legal procedures, crisis management, and community engagement, as well as weapons training. This distinction highlights that armed teachers generally receive much narrower training, which may not fully prepare them for the responsibilities involved in acting as armed responders, focusing more on weapons proficiency and related safety protocols.	Arming Teachers Training Hours67These are the minimum number of training hours for the initial certification, beyond any training requirements for a concealed carry permit, as established by state law, regulation, or rules or standards set by the training or governing body authorized to set such standards. Official uniform reporting on training across states is not available. Data was collected by Everytown from state statutes, regulations, government websites, and media reporting. Localities may require additional training beyond the hours that states require, and there may be additional requirements for renewing the certification or additional periodic training required. States may provide multiple avenues to become an armed teacher; these data reflect the training requirements for the most generally applicable program.
Florida	77068Miami Gardens Police, “Who Mandates How Many Training Hours Officers Have to Complete to Maintain Their Certification?” accessed August 23, 2025, https://miamigardenspolice.org/FAQ.aspx?QID=179.	14469 Fla. Stat. § 30.15(1)(k)(2).
Georgia	80970Georgia Public Safety Training Center, “Basic Law Enforcement Program,” accessed August 23, 2023, https://www.gpstc.org/training-at-gpstc/training-bureau/basic-law-enforcement-training-section/basic-police-officer-training/; Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council, “2025 Basic Law Enforcement Training Course Curriculum,” accessed September 2, 2025, https://gapost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/BLETC-2025-Curriculum-and-Hours.pdf.	Not specified71If a local board of education adopts a policy to allow armed personnel, the policy must provide training requirements. Official Code of Georgia Ann. (O.C.G.A.) § 16-11-130.1(b).
Idaho	58872Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training, “Patrol Academy Classes and Hours,” June 5, 2025, https://post.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/Documents/forms/Academy-Hours-Patrol.pdf.	Not specified73Idaho Code § 18-3302D(4)(g).
Iowa	63974Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, “ILEA Basic Academy: Curriculum,” accessed August 23, 2025, https://ilea.iowa.gov/agencies/basic-academy/curriculum.	4075Iowa Code § 724.6(1)(a)(3); Iowa Admin. Code §§ 661-91.14–661-91.19.
Kansas	56076Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, “Basic Training,” University of Kansas, accessed August 23, 2025, https://kletc.org/basic-training.	Not specified77K.S.A. § 75-7c10(d)(1).
Mississippi	48078Mississippi Delta Community College, “Law Enforcement Training Academy,” accessed August 23, 2025, https://www.msdelta.edu/leta/.	Not specified79Training requirements must be set by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety in consultation with the Department of Education. Miss. Code Ann. § 45-9-181.
Missouri	60080R.S.Mo. § 590.040(1); 11 CSR 75-14.030.	1128111 CSR 75-17.030; R.S.Mo. §§ 160.665(6); 590.200(2).
North Dakota	Not specified82While there is no minimum number of hours specified, officers must undergo academy training certified by the North Dakota Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (ND POST). One such course, provided by the Lake Region State College, is a 14-week, full-time academy. Lake Region State College, “Peace Officer Training Program,” https://www.lrsc.edu/programs/peace-officer-training; Lake Region State College, “Accreditation,” accessed August 26, 2025, ​​https://www.lrsc.edu/accreditation.	8083N.D. Cent. Code, § 62.1-02-14(7), N.D. Admin. Code § 93-02-04-01(4).
Ohio	74084Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §§ 2923.122, 5502.703	248570 Okl. Stat. § 3311(E)(2).
Oklahoma	6008670 Okl. Stat. § 3311(E)(2).	7287Pursuant to 21 Okl. Stat. § 1277(D), a board of education of a school district may adopt a policy (70 Okl. Stat. § 5-149.2) to authorize the carrying of a handgun onto school property by school personnel specifically designated by the board of education, provided such personnel either, possess a valid armed security guard license (59 Okl. Stat. § 1750.1 et seq) or reserve peace officer certification (70 Okl. Stat. § 3311). Pursuant to 59 Okl. Stat. § 1750.3 and 70 Okl. Stat. § 3311, the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training promulgates rules for certification, these rules require: at least 72 hours for an armed security guard license (Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, “Licensing: Training and Testing,” accessed August 23, 2025, https://oklahoma.gov/cleet/licensing/training.html) or a minimum of 240 hours for a reserve peace officer certification (70 Okl. Stat. § 3311(E)(2)).
South Dakota	52088Office of the South Dakota Attorney General, “Basic Officer Certification,” accessed August 23, 2025, https://atg.sd.gov/LawEnforcement/Training/Certification/basic.aspx#gsc.tab=0.	8089S.D. Codified Laws §§ 13-64-3, 23-3-35(16); Office of the South Dakota Attorney General, “School Sentinel Training Program,” accessed August 23, 2025, https://atg.sd.gov/LawEnforcement/Training/schoolsentinel.aspx?#gsc.tab=0.
Tennessee	48890Nashville and Davidson County (TN), “Police Department Training Academy,” accessed August 23, 2025, https://www.nashville.gov/departments/police/administrative-services/training-academy.	4091Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 49-6-815(b); 49-6-4217.
Texas	73692Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, “#1000736 Basic Peace Officer Course (Effective January 2024),” pg. 19, accessed August 23, 2025, https://www.tcole.texas.gov/document/history_of_bpoc-2023.pdf.	8093Tex. Occ. Code § 1701.260(c).
Utah	36094Utah State University, “Peace Officer Standards Training (POST) – Technical Certificate,” accessed August 26, 2025, https://catalog.usu.edu/programs/POTR-POTR_TC-MAJOR.	2895School guardians must receive initial training that is approved by the Utah Department of Public Safety. The Department of Public Safety reportedly has set the minimum number of hours for the initial training to be at least 28 hours, but local sheriff’s offices can require more training hours. Utah Code 53-22-105; Paul Nelson, “Training Standards Being Set for Utah’s New School Guardian Program,” KUTV, August 28, 2024, https://kutv.com/news/crisis-in-the-classroom/training-standards-being-set-for-utahs-new-school-guardian-program.
Wyoming	63596Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy, “Peace Officer Basic,” accessed August 23, 2025, https://www.wleacademy.com/peace-officer-basic.	2497Wyoming law allows any school employee or volunteer who has a concealed carry permit to carry on school grounds unless the district’s board of trustees adopts rules and regulations to govern employees and volunteers carrying on school grounds. If a school district adopts such rules, the rules must include at least 24 hours of initial training. Wyo. Stat. § 6-8-105(f).

By contrast, armed teachers in Missouri must receive 112 hours of training, which is roughly one-fifth of the training required for peace officers in the state.⁹⁸Everytown Research analysis of 11 CSR 75-17.030 (Minimum Training Standards for School Protection Officers) and 11 CSR 75-14.030(1)(A) (Standard Basic Training Curricula and Objectives). The training requirements set forth in Missouri’s statutes and regulations for armed non-security personnel, while extensive compared to states without clearly delineated training standards, do not explicitly mandate some of the training content that peace officers receive, including training on constitutional law, human behavior, cultural diversity, and dealing with death.⁹⁹Jeremy Spratt, “FAQ: POST Certification,” The Review, March/April 2024, https://mocities.com/common/Uploaded%20files/MML%20Review/March%20Review/March2024/POSTCertification.pdf; R.S.Mo. § 590.200; 11 CSR 75-17.030.

Furthermore, law enforcement officers not only undergo extensive training but also operate under established standards to protect the public. Most agencies have policies that guide their use of force—often referred to as the “use-of-force continuum.” These policies outline the acceptable actions an officer may take to resolve a confrontation, and they make clear that lethal force, such as that involving firearms, is a last resort.¹⁰⁰National Institute of Justice, “The Use-Of-Force Continuum,” August 3, 2009, https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/use-force-continuum. Their purpose is to establish a standard for the use of force in a given situation, ensuring that officers respond proportionally and minimize harm, based on their training. 

Limited training and unclear standards leave armed teachers less prepared to appropriately handle the complex and unpredictable crises that come with active shooter events, effectively asking them to take on the responsibilities of officers without comparable mental and physical preparation.

Arming teachers is confusing and costly for schools and staff. 

Decisions on who pays for the necessary training and screenings to qualify to become an armed teacher are not specified in every state law; however, various states place at least some of the cost on the school district, board, or governing body. For example, in Georgia, any costs associated with approving personnel to carry firearms are borne by the local school board, and in Ohio, the cost of training falls to the board or governing body of the school.¹⁰¹O.C.G.A. § 16-11-130.1(e); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5502.703(c)(2). In some states, the teacher who seeks to become armed is required by law to shoulder some of the related costs. One example is Oklahoma, where those who plan to become armed are responsible for the cost of the psychological evaluation necessary for their approval.¹⁰²59 Okl. Stat. Ann. § 1750.3A. These stipulations are not always explicitly detailed in the laws, resulting in a complex legal and logistical gap for those implementing these policies. 

These polices do not come cheap: officials from one school district in Iowa, that later rescinded its plans, claimed the estimated start-up costs for arming staff in the 2022–23 school year were $30,000—which included weapons, gear, gun safes for schools and homes, and mental health assessments—plus a $5,000 annual investment for ammunition, a training facility, and evaluations.¹⁰³Samantha Hernandez, “Two Iowa School Districts Rescind Policies Allowing Armed Teachers in Class. Here’s Why,” Des Moines Register, June 26, 2023, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2023/06/23/spirit-lake-community-schools-emc-insurance-cherokee-county/70350452007/. In some states, armed staff must be paid a stipend, adding yet another expense for states grappling with the implementation of this policy.¹⁰⁴See, for example, Utah Code Ann. § 53-22-105(4)(c); Miss. Code Ann. § 45-9-181(6). Associated Press, “Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor Wants to Pay Teachers $10,000 a Year to Carry Guns at School,” October 25, 2023, https://www.gpb.org/news/2023/10/25/georgias-lieutenant-governor-wants-pay-teachers-10000-year-carry-guns-at-school; Naaz Modan, “Texas Lawmakers Propose Paying Teachers to Carry Weapons,” K–12 Dive, April 28, 2023, https://www.k12dive.com/news/Texas-bill-incentive-stipend-to-arm-teachers-school-sentinels/648924/. 

When it comes to the firearm itself, the cost frequently falls on the teacher or staff person¹⁰⁵Frank Sumrall, “Teachers in Idaho School District to Carry Guns on Campus, but Parents Won’t Know Who,” MyNorthwest News, April 16, 2025, https://mynorthwest.com/local/idaho-guns-school-campus/4076629; Devin Bodkin, “Idaho Schools Use a Range of Safety Protocols, including Guns,” Idaho Education News, February 22, 2018, https://www.idahoednews.org/news/idaho-schools-use-range-safety-protocols-including-guns/; Deanie Wimmer, “Armed Guardians Coming Soon to Every Utah School,” KSLTV, August 20, 2024, https://ksltv.com/local-news/armed-guardians-coming-soon-to-every-utah-school/673024/; Kate Murphy, “Armed Teachers Aim to Defend K–12 Schools,” 41KSHB Kansas City, August 19, 2014, https://www.kshb.com/news/national/armed-teachers-aim-to-defend-k-12-schools; Natalie Hee, “Texas School District to Arm Teachers for Upcoming School Year,” FOX 4 News Dallas–Fort Worth, July 25, 2018, https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-school-district-to-arm-teachers-for-upcoming-school-year; Jen Kinney, “‘Shooting People Is Deescalation’: Three Days with Teachers Training to Use Guns in Schools,” WHYY, September 25, 2019, https://whyy.org/articles/shooting-people-is-deescalation-three-days-with-teachers-training-to-use-guns-in-schools/. and at times, the laws do not specify the type of firearm allowed. Some states specify in their laws what type of firearm may be carried, and among those that do, only handguns are permitted.¹⁰⁶See, for example, K.S.A. § 75-7c10(d); Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-815(a). Most statutes do not require schools or districts to publish lists of specific, approved models, which is concerning given that some firearms are known to discharge unintentionally¹⁰⁷Jenna Barnes and B. J. Lutz, “Police Union Boss Urges CPD to Stop Using Service Weapon Alleged to Misfire,” WGN9, April 19, 2025, https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-police-union-catanzara-sig-sauer-p320/; Rachel Fedeli, “Court Records Reveal Sig Sauer Knew of Pistol Risks for Years,” The Smoking Gun, August 14, 2025, https://smokinggun.org/court-records-reveal-sig-sauer-knew-of-pistol-risks-for-years/; Rachel Fedeli, “Air Force Commander Pulls Sig Sauer M18 after Deadly Shooting,” The Smoking Gun, July 25, 2025, https://smokinggun.org/air-force-command-pulls-sig-sauer-m18-after-deadly-shooting/. and have even been recalled. 

Unforeseen expenses, such as insurance complications at the district level, as previously discussed, and out-of-pocket costs for individual teachers or staff, can add up. These costs funnel money away from other educational, staffing, and student needs at the school and district levels. 

There is a lack of transparency regarding who is aware of an armed teacher.

Once the relevant school authority approves a teacher to be armed and the teacher completes the necessary prerequisites, their status as an armed educator is often kept confidential, even from those in the school community. While most states require some notification to local law enforcement, only Ohio mandates that parents be informed if an armed person is present in a school operated under their authority.¹⁰⁸Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2923.122. In Texas, if a parent or guardian inquires in writing, the school must notify them if any employee of the school is appointed as a school marshal authorized to carry a firearm, but they may not disclose the identity of the employee.¹⁰⁹Tex. Educ. Code §§ 37.0811(h), 37.0813(h). And in South Dakota, school district voters may petition for a decision regarding whether to implement an arming teachers program to be referred to a vote, allowing the voters to approve or reject an arming teachers program.¹¹⁰S.D. Codified Laws § 13-64-7. Taken together, it is evident that arming teachers policies are frequently implemented without the knowledge or consent of students, teachers, families, or the broader community.¹¹¹Paul Nelson, “Training Standards Being Set for Utah’s New School Guardian Program,” KUTV, August 28, 2024, https://kutv.com/news/crisis-in-the-classroom/training-standards-being-set-for-utahs-new-school-guardian-program; Frank Sumrall, “Teachers in Idaho School District to Carry Guns on Campus, but Parents Won’t Know Who,” MyNorthwest News, April 16, 2025, https://mynorthwest.com/local/idaho-guns-school-campus/4076629; Marta W. Aldrich, “Tennessee Law to Let Teachers Carry Guns in Schools Caused a Ruckus, But Has Drawn Little Interest,” Chalkbeat, August 14, 2023, https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2024/08/14/school-safety-law-arming-teachers-with-guns-has-few-takers-in-first-yea/. This lack of information raises concerns about accountability and parents’ rights regarding their children’s safety.

Armed Teachers in Schools: Gauging Awareness Among Everytown Volunteers

Because state laws differ widely on who may carry a firearm in schools and how such policies are reported, determining the exact number of school districts that have chosen to arm teachers and the number of armed teachers currently in schools across the US is difficult. Previous surveys on arming teachers show that the policy is generally unpopular, with more than half of adults in the US opposing arming non-security staff in schools.¹¹²PDK International, “Public Broadly Supports School Security—But Not Armed Teachers and Staff,” accessed August 23, 2025, https://pdkpoll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022_PDK_Poll_School_Security.pdf; Pew Research Center, “Amid a Series of Mass Shootings in the U.S., Gun Policy Remains Deeply Divisive,” April 20, 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/04/20/amid-a-series-of-mass-shootings-in-the-u-s–gun-policy-remains-deeply-divisive/. In practice, implementation of these policies is rare: only 3 percent of teachers report that educators or administrators at their school are allowed to carry firearms on campus.¹¹³Kiley Hurst, “About 1 in 4 U.S. Teachers Say Their School Went into a Gun-Related Lockdown in the Last School Year,” Pew Research Center, April 11, 2024, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/11/about-1-in-4-us-teachers-say-their-school-went-into-a-gun-related-lockdown-in-the-last-school-year/.

To estimate the number of armed teachers in schools, Everytown Research surveyed 1,129 grassroots volunteers from Moms Demand Action and Student Demand Action during the fall 2024 semester.¹¹⁴Between August 1 and November 5, 2024, Everytown Research conducted a survey of 1,129 Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers nationwide. The margin of error (MoE) at the 95 percent confidence interval is +/-2.9 percent. However, this MoE reflects sampling error only, does not account for selection bias from using a nonrandom supporter list, and applies only to the specific group sampled. The data described in this section are based on the answers provided by the respondents, and Everytown has not independently confirmed that answers align with each relevant state law or school/district policy. The responses spanned nearly every state and the District of Columbia,¹¹⁵No responses were recorded from Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteers in Louisiana or Nevada. capturing responses from all levels of K–12 schools, both public and private. A majority of respondents—nearly 80 percent—answered on behalf of someone attending public school.¹¹⁶As noted earlier, 15 states have laws explicitly allowing teachers or staff to be armed in public schools. In several, but not all, of these states, the laws also apply to private schools. Most respondents (76 percent) reported that non-security staff (e.g., teachers, administrators, nurses, coaches) were not armed at their school; of those, 43 percent indicated their school, district, or municipality had made the individual decision to fully prohibit any armed non-security personnel.¹¹⁷Respondents were asked, “To the best of your knowledge, do any teachers or staff carry firearms at the school you or your child attends? This does not include security guards, School Resource Officers (SROs), or other law enforcement on school grounds (‘security staff’).” Forty-three percent reported that their “school, school district, or municipality does not authorize teachers or staff to carry firearms.” One in five respondents (21 percent) were unsure whether any teachers or staff carried firearms at their schools, highlighting the difficulty in accessing information about the policy and its implementation at the school level.¹¹⁸Among respondents, 21.3 percent answered, “Don’t know enough to say,” to the question “To the best of your knowledge, do any teachers or staff carry firearms at the school you or your child attends? This does not include security guards, School Resource Officers (SROs), or other law enforcement on school grounds (‘security staff’).”

Who are Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action?

Moms Demand Action is the nation’s largest grassroots volunteer network working to end gun violence, with chapters in every state and DC. It’s part of Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, which has nearly 11 million supporters and over 700,000 donors. Volunteers advocate for stronger gun laws, promote secure firearm storage, and partner with communities to build a culture of gun safety.

Students Demand Action, also part of Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, is the largest grassroots network of young people organizing to end gun violence in America, with 900 groups. Founded by and for young people, student volunteers organize locally to educate peers, register voters, and advocate for common-sense gun safety laws at all levels of government.

Both groups welcome people of all genders and backgrounds—parents and non-parents, students and allies—united by a shared commitment to ending gun violence.

How many teachers are actually armed?

Just over 2 percent of respondents in this sample reported knowing of an armed teacher or non-security staff member at their school, despite 36 percent of them living in one of the 15 states with laws allowing the practice. This extremely small proportion of affirmative responses suggests that the policy has seen limited adoption by school districts—or, at the very least, remains largely invisible within school communities. It’s important to underscore that the actual number of armed non-security staff may be higher, as state laws vary regarding whether families or school personnel must be notified.

For the small subset of respondents who reported being aware of an armed teacher in their school, we asked a series of follow-up questions to gain a better understanding of what they knew about the policies and practices in place. The first question focused on how they found out about armed personnel on school grounds. The responses revealed that information about armed personnel on school grounds was inconsistent and often came from unofficial sources. For example, while some learned through the school’s direct communication, others relied on hearsay or casual conversations. Notably, responses included “A fellow teacher […] told me that she carries a gun,” or “[I] met teachers at the local shooting range.” This scattered, informal flow of information raises questions about why such crucial details are left to unofficial channels rather than being communicated clearly and consistently to school staff, parents, and other members of school communities.

Who provided the gun, and where is it stored?

The responses to the following questions focus on transparency, funding, and firearm storage. When asked who was responsible for providing the firearms, respondents who could answer reported that the armed teacher or staff used firearms they purchased for this purpose or already owned (46 percent). In a follow-up, when asked whether the school or another entity provided financial support for purchasing the weapon, the vast majority could not give an answer, and those who could (9 percent) claimed no funding was provided whatsoever. Arming Teachers laws frequently do not specify who is responsible for the cost of the firearm. Still, these responses suggest that the burden of procuring a firearm often falls to the individual with little school involvement or support.¹¹⁹Frank Sumrall, “Teachers in Idaho School District to Carry Guns on Campus, but Parents Won’t Know Who,” MyNorthwest News, April 16, 2025, https://mynorthwest.com/local/idaho-guns-school-campus/4076629; Devin Bodkin, “Idaho Schools Use a Range of Safety Protocols, including Guns,” Idaho Education News, February 22, 2018, https://www.idahoednews.org/news/idaho-schools-use-range-safety-protocols-including-guns/; Kate Murphy, “Armed Teachers Aim to Defend K–12 Schools,” 41KSHB Kansas City, August 19, 2014, https://www.kshb.com/news/national/armed-teachers-aim-to-defend-k-12-schools; Natalie Hee, “Texas School District to Arm Teachers for Upcoming School Year,” FOX 4 News Dallas–Fort Worth, July 25, 2018, https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-school-district-to-arm-teachers-for-upcoming-school-year; Caitlin Emma, “Some Texas Districts That Arm Teachers Say No to Federal Funds,” Politico, September 11, 2018, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-education/2018/09/11/some-texas-districts-that-arm-teachers-say-no-to-federal-funds-336144.

Another critical question we explored was how and where these firearms were stored during the school day. Among respondents who were aware of an armed teacher or staff member, half (50 percent) indicated that the firearm was carried on the individual’s person at all times during the school day. An additional 18 percent of participants in this sample reported that the firearm was “sometimes carried and sometimes stored.” These findings raise significant safety concerns about secure storage and accessibility by individuals at the school who should not have access to a loaded firearm—most notably, the students. Indeed, suppose a gun is being carried throughout the school day. In that case, it introduces risks related to accessibility, unintentional discharge, and the potential for students to come into contact with the weapon. Some respondents indicated that firearms were stored somewhere on school grounds, but when asked to specify the exact location, none could provide a definitive answer.

When asked whether schools provided any financial support or resources for secure firearm storage, only one respondent indicated that their school provided funding for a storage locker or gun lock, while another stated that both funding and storage were provided. However, the vast majority—91 percent—either did not know or reported that no funding or storage was provided. This suggests that, even in cases where teachers are armed, there may not be sufficient institutional oversight to ensure that firearms are stored securely when not in use.

If we don’t know, who does?

These responses raise a critical question about the implementation of arming teacher policies: if firearms are brought onto school property, what safety measures, oversight, and protections are in place to prevent unauthorized access? This is especially relevant when storage and security measures are not provided or paid for by the school. Moreover, it is similarly important to understand if and how firearms are kept in the personal vehicles of armed teachers, because research shows cars are the leading source of stolen firearms.

Whether it was about firearm purchasing, funding, storage, or even the specific location of firearms on school grounds, uncertainty was a dominant theme among these new data. The inconsistency in how respondents learned about armed teachers—through word of mouth, news reports, and even gun dealers—suggests that there is no uniform approach to informing school communities. This opacity may be intentional, reflecting concerns that publicly identifying armed teachers could make them vulnerable to attack. However, it also creates a situation where even families of students in schools where teachers are armed are struggling to find reliable information, which is equally concerning. 

Resisting Arming Teachers: Case Studies from Iowa, Tennessee, and Oregon

In part due to the lack of any clear evidence guiding the effectiveness of arming teachers, the policy remains deeply controversial in states where it has become law, resulting in many school and community stakeholders across the country actively opposing its implementation in their schools, and winning.¹²⁰Alex Mitchell, “School Board Rejects Armed Staff Policy Following Unanimous Community Opposition,” Billings Gazette, August 19, 2025, https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/education/article_4f2e35f4-a6ed-47ad-a059-ec950216c1b7.html; CNN Newsource, “Dozens of Schools Reject Arming Teachers in Survey of 106 Districts,” KTVZ 21, July 2, 2024, https://ktvz.com/cnn-regional/2024/07/02/dozens-of-schools-reject-arming-teachers-in-survey-of-106-districts/; Marta W. Aldrich, “Tennessee Law to Let Teachers Carry Guns in Schools Caused a Ruckus, But Has Drawn Little Interest,” Chalkbeat, August 14, 2023, https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2024/08/14/school-safety-law-arming-teachers-with-guns-has-few-takers-in-first-yea/. A closer look at how arming teachers policies have been implemented—or deliberately rejected—in public school districts across Iowa, Oregon,¹²¹While Oregon is not one of the 15 states that explicitly authorize teachers to be armed, it allows concealed carry permitholders—which could include teachers—to carry concealed guns in schools unless the district board prohibits guns. Ore. Rev. Stat. §§ 166.370(3)(g), (1)(b); 166.377. and Tennessee reveals key patterns in their effects on school communities and offers new insight into why a district might consider adopting the practice. Each state’s political climate, district priorities, and public response shape policy, but common themes emerge across all three. To track whether schools have chosen to adopt or reject the authority to arm teachers, Everytown meticulously documented school districts’ decisions in these three states using direct contacts to the school districts and media reporting.¹²²The individual rejections of Arming Teachers policies were documented using public media reporting in Tennessee and Iowa. Oregon data was collected through direct action: in-person school board meetings and calls made to school districts to confirm the adoption of policy KGBB, a model policy released by the Oregon School Board Association that enables school districts to prohibit concealed carry in schools. These new data provide insight into the proportion of districts choosing to adopt or reject¹²³In the case of Oregon, district school boards must take action to opt out of the state law that allows concealed carry permitholders to carry concealed guns in schools and affirmatively adopt a policy that prohibits permitholders from carrying firearms on school grounds. the state laws allowing for teachers to be armed and the geographic distribution of these decisions.

“We feel that we’ve got an effective strategy to support the safety and well-being of our teachers, students, and staff. . . There is a role for protecting the well-being of our students, staff, and teachers, but [arming teachers] is not the way to do it.”

—Jackie Norris, School Board Chair, Des Moines Public Schools¹²⁴Ophelie Jacobson, “Des Moines Public Schools Won’t Allow Teachers to Carry Guns on Campus following New Law,” KCCI Des Moines, April 23, 2024, https://www.kcci.com/article/des-moines-public-schools-dmps-opting-out-of-law-arming-teachers/60584365.

Our analysis found that many public school districts across these states are rejecting the policy. Specifically, school districts in Tennessee rejected arming teachers at the highest rate of the three states, accounting for at least 69 percent of all public school students in the state. Similarly, over half of Oregon’s students attend a school where a district does not allow non-security armed personnel. While the total number of schools that have rejected the policy is lower in Iowa compared to Tennessee and Oregon, the percentage of students impacted by these decisions is still substantial, with nearly 40 percent of students attending schools in districts that have rejected arming teachers.

The disparity between the number of districts in a state that choose to reject this policy and the number of students within these districts can be explained by their urbanicity: urban districts overwhelmingly rejected the policy, while rural districts were more likely to allow teachers to be armed. This may be due, in part, to how rural schools organize their emergency response protocols, as many rural schools are far from both local law enforcement and Level I trauma centers. School emergency preparedness efforts and guidance from local officials, state, and federal policymakers should, therefore, consider the unique logistical and budget needs of these schools, providing schools with adequate funding to implement proven security upgrades and violence prevention programs. The existing evidence is clear, however, that investing in arming teachers is an ineffective and insufficient approach.

Students in urban areas are more likely to attend school in a district that has rejected arming teachers.

The gap in adoption and rejection rates between rural and urban districts indicates differing perceptions and material realities of safety and preparedness. Urban districts, where schools are more likely to have access to emergency services and mental health resources, have largely rejected the policy.¹²⁵Daniel M. Lindberg, “EMS Response Times Are Double in Rural vs. Urban Areas,” NEJM Journal Watch, August 4, 2017, https://www.jwatch.org/na44696/2017/08/04/ems-response-times-are-double-rural-vs-urban-areas; Keith L. Hullenaar, Frederick Rivara, and Eric J. Bruns, “Support Staff Distribution in K–12 US Schools That Experience Shootings: A Matched Analysis,” Preventive Medicine 196 (July 2025): 108296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108296. Meanwhile, suburban and rural districts, facing both material and perceived challenges¹²⁶Rick Ruddell and David C. May, “Challenging Our Perceptions of Rural Policing: An Examination of School Resource Officers in Rural and Urban Kentucky Schools,” Kentucky Journal of Anthropology and Sociology 1, no. 1 (2011): 5–18. in emergency response¹²⁷Howard K. Mell et al., “Emergency Medical Services Response Times in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Areas,” JAMA Surgery 152, no. 10 (2017): 983–84, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2017.2230. and fewer resources,¹²⁸Daniel Showalter et al., “Why Rural Matters, 2023: Centering Equity and Opportunity,” National Rural Education Association, 2023, https://wsos-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/sites/18/10-26WRMReport2023_DIGITALFINAL.pdf; Libby Stanford, “The State of Rural Schools, in Charts: Funding, Graduation Rates, Performance, and More,” Education Week, November 20, 2023, https://www.edweek.org/leadership/the-state-of-rural-schools-in-charts-funding-graduation-rates-performance-and-more/2023/11. appear more willing to consider armed teachers as a viable security measure. Other rural states have expressed interest in having armed teachers, citing a lack of resources to hire conventional guards.¹²⁹Thomas Christoph Keller, “ABC’s and AR-15’s: Arming Arkansas’s Teachers,” Arkansas Law Review 67, no. 3 (2014): 983–84; Gun Policy in America, “The Effects of Laws Allowing Armed Staff in K–12 Schools,” RAND, July 16, 2024, https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/laws-allowing-armed-staff-in-K12-schools.html. In reality, urban schools have fewer security staff members than suburban, town, and rural schools, and rural schools are most likely to have sworn law enforcement officers who routinely carry a firearm than any other locale.¹³⁰National Center for Education Statistics, “Safety and Security Practices at Public Schools,” July 2024, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/a19.

While the districts included in this analysis have taken a proactive stance in opting out of arming teachers, they are not the only ones where teachers will remain unarmed. In various Arming Teachers States, even if the school or district hasn’t announced a formal decision to reject arming teachers, they may still be denying individual requests from teachers to carry under the law.¹³¹Kate Wheeling, “Should Teachers Carry Guns? In Many Rural School Districts, They Already Are,” Pacific Standard, February 12, 2019, https://psmag.com/education/should-teachers-carry-guns-in-many-rural-school-districts-they-already-are/. As a result, the number of schools effectively prohibiting armed, non-security staff is likely higher than officially reported.

“One of our fears, being a small, rural school, is that we don’t have a police force. We used to, but due to budget cuts, we now get our police services from the sheriff’s office, and the sheriff’s station is 20 minutes away from our school. So we’re kind of vulnerable.”

—Anonymous, Ohio Superintendent¹³²Kate Wheeling, “Should Teachers Carry Guns? In Many Rural School Districts, They Already Are,” Pacific Standard, February 12, 2019, https://psmag.com/education/should-teachers-carry-guns-in-many-rural-school-districts-they-already-are/.

These findings suggest that support for arming teachers is closely tied to the availability of resources and the community context. As policymakers continue to debate school safety strategies, investments in efforts that address the root causes of community vulnerability, particularly in emergency response delays and inadequate funding, may offer more effective solutions than arming educators.

What Works to Keep Students Safe?

76%

76 percent of surveyed pre-K–12 educators oppose arming teachers and staff in public schools.

AFT and Hart Research Associates, “Under Siege: Survey of Teachers Finds 34-Point Increase in Job Dissatisfaction, Union as Solution,” July 11, 2022, https://www.aft.org/press-release/under-siege-survey-teachers-finds-34-point-increase-job-dissatisfaction. Survey respondents limited to members of the American Federation of Teachers.

Arming teachers is not just an unpopular policy—it fails to address the root causes of school-based gun violence and is not a proven solution to prevent school shootings. Research shows that increased gun presence, regardless of the setting, raises the risk of firearm-related harm.¹³³Daniel Semenza, “More Guns, More Death: The Fundamental Fact That Supports a Comprehensive Approach to Reducing Gun Violence in America,” Rockefeller Institute of Government, June 21, 2022, https://rockinst.org/blog/more-guns-more-death-the-fundamental-fact-that-supports-a-comprehensive-approach-to-reducing-gun-violence-in-america/. Schools pose unique challenges: teachers aren’t trained like law enforcement and can’t be expected to act as such, and adding a gun to the classroom brings serious risks like the expectation of confronting an armed intruder and the possibility of a child gaining access to a gun. Preventing violence in schools requires a safety plan that allows for intervention before prospective shooters can get their hands on a gun, using evidence-informed policies that work hand in hand with school-based interventions to create safer school environments.

Conclusion

The evidence is clear: arming teachers is not a viable or effective solution to either preventing school shootings or reducing the lethality of an active shooting, should one occur. Moreover, the introduction of loaded firearms into a school setting introduces significant risks to the children, teachers, staff, and families who all comprise a school community. Our new analyses also underscore the fragmented legal landscape, low policy uptake, and limited awareness among school and community stakeholders, revealing deep structural flaws in the design and implementation of the Arming Teachers policy. 

Rather than enhancing safety, arming teachers heightens risks of unintentional shootings, escalates violence, and deepens inequities in classrooms. The presence of firearms in classrooms disrupts learning environments and discourages students from reporting threats, ultimately undermining the very sense of safety schools are meant to foster. Moreover, shifting the responsibility of law enforcement onto underpaid teachers places additional financial, logistical, and legal burdens on schools, particularly those with limited resources. 

Instead of pursuing ineffective policies, lawmakers should invest in proven comprehensive gun safety measures, expand crisis intervention programs, increase access to mental health care, and promote secure storage education to prevent violence before it occurs. By prioritizing proactive measures over reactionary ones, we can create safer schools without further endangering students and staff.

For a comprehensive evidence-informed school violence intervention plan, proposed by Everytown, the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Education Association, click the link below:

• How To Stop Shootings and Gun Violence in Schools: A Plan to Keep Students Safe Report

Acknowledgements

Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund would like to gratefully acknowledge Sarah Burd-Sharps, former Senior Director of Everytown Research; David Riedman, founder of the K–12 School Shooting Database; Judy Tannehill, Oregon Moms Demand Action volunteer; and Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund’s State and Local Government Affairs teams for their contributions during the development and drafting of this report.