Why does the department of education need guns

But the loophole in the ESSA law remains, and lawmakers are acting quickly to clarify it. On Thursday, Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut who became one of the most outspoken advocates for preventing gun violence after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, introduced a bill to prevent the use of Title IV funds for the purpose of arming teachers. Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic. Popular Latest.

The Atlantic Crossword. Sign In Subscribe. When differences are examined by school characteristics, 10 the data show that a higher percentage of students enrolled in schools in towns 9 percent reported having access to a loaded gun without adult permission, compared with their peers enrolled in schools in cities and suburban areas 3 percent each ; the percentage was also higher for students enrolled in schools in rural areas 5 percent than for those enrolled in schools in suburban areas.

In addition, a higher percentage of public school students than of private school students reported having access to a loaded gun without adult permission in 4 vs. Separate data on each type of weapon were not collected. In this indicator, all YRBSS discussions about weapon carrying, except those at the state level, are based on data from the national survey. Skip Navigation. Search box. Contact NCES. NCES Blog. Family Characteristics. Preprimary, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Postsecondary Education. Population Characteristics and Economic Outcomes. International Comparisons. School Crime and Safety. Related sites. Last Updated: May This indicator also appears under School Crime and Safety. Download PDF. Select a subgroup: Show all available findings. Figure 1. Percentage of students in grades 9—12 who reported carrying a weapon at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by location and sex: Selected years, through Figure 2.

Figure 3. Shootings at K—12 schools shock us because schools are generally safe havens from the gun violence that is so prevalent elsewhere. A report issued by the US Departments of Education and Justice found that between and , at least 50 times as many murders of young people ages 5—18 occurred away from school than at school. Federal and state laws ensuring that schools are gun-free zones have helped make K—12 schools even safer , significantly reducing gun violence in these places.

School-associated student homicide rates decreased after the federal laws restricting guns within 1, feet of schools were adopted in the early s, 8 and fewer students are carrying guns. Proposals offered by the gun lobby to arm teachers and repeal gun-free school zones laws are dangerous and counter-productive. Teachers are not trained law enforcement officers—their purpose is to be educators and role models.

Gun violence prevention measures for our schools should focus on educating kids and parents about the dangers of firearms and importance of safe storage , rather than on arming teachers. A study of 37 school shootings in 26 states found that in nearly two-thirds of the incidents, the attacker got the gun from his or her own home or that of a relative. As a result of these laws, few students have access to guns on campus , ensuring that colleges and universities remain safe learning environments:.

Allowing guns on campus would likely lead to more campus homicides and suicides. Young adults between the ages of 18—25 experience the highest rate of serious mental illness. Gun-owning college students also have a greater propensity for engaging in risky, sometimes violent, behavior.

These facts belie any need for students, faculty, and visitors to carry guns on campus—for self-defense or any other reason. Instead, evidence suggests that permissive concealed gun carrying generally will increase crime and place students at risk. In seeking to force higher education institutions to allow guns on campus, the gun lobby has recently argued that college-aged women should be able to carry concealed firearms to defend themselves against sexual assault.

No federal law restricts guns on college or university campuses. Two federal laws regulate the possession of firearms in or near K schools:. The Gun-Free School Zones Act GFSZA prohibits any person from knowingly possessing a firearm that has moved in or otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone. However, the federal prohibition against possessing a gun in a school zone does not apply to people licensed by a state or locality to possess a gun.

The current GFSA, effective as of , requires that states receiving certain federal funds require local educational agencies to expel students from school for a minimum period of one year if they bring a firearm to school or possess one at school. The GFSA expressly permits firearm possession if the gun is lawfully stored inside a locked vehicle on school property, or if the gun is possessed for a school activity approved and authorized by the local educational agency if appropriate safeguards have been adopted to ensure student safety.

To build a safer America—one where children and parents in every neighborhood can learn, play, work, and worship without fear of gun violence—we need you standing beside us in this fight. In the aftermath of the Newtown shootings, in , President Obama issued a series of executive orders focusing on firearms and ammunition regulation, mental health issues, and school shootings.

A few of these orders deal directly with safety in K schools:. As described above, federal law prohibits guns on K—12 campuses generally but exempts people with concealed carry permits from the prohibition. Nearly all states prohibit concealed carry permit holders from carrying firearms in K—12 schools, however. Notwithstanding these prohibitions, even in states where carry by permittees is prohibited, many states allow schools to grant individualized permission to permit holders to carry.

A little over a quarter of states allow individuals with concealed carry permits to carry loaded firearms in their vehicles despite the prohibition on guns on campus. Guns in K—12 schools make students, teachers, and staff less safe, but following school shootings, the gun lobby predictably calls for more guns in schools.

In some states, school security who are not trained law enforcement are allowed to carry and approximately half of states allow teachers or other school employees with concealed carry permits to carry firearms on school grounds, with or without individualized permission. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia require that any student possessing a firearm at an elementary or secondary school or on school property be expelled for not less than one year.

Most states authorize school districts to provide educational services to an expelled student in an alternative setting. Only Massachusetts does not require the expulsion of a student for possessing a gun at school.

The following table provides an overview of state laws regarding the carrying of firearms on college and university campuses. The strongest laws generally prohibit possession of firearms on all post-secondary school campuses, while weaker laws prohibit firearms on campuses in some, but not all, circumstances.

Student safety is in greatest jeopardy in states that explicitly prevent publicly run colleges and universities from regulating the possession or carrying of firearms on their campuses. Unless a state has a law or regulation explicitly prohibiting the carrying or possession of firearms on all post-secondary school property, private colleges and universities generally have broad authority to allow, prohibit, or regulate the possession or carrying of firearms on their property. In states with no specific laws or regulations regarding firearms on campuses, we have listed the firearms policy of the most populous school in the state.

The features listed below are intended to provide a framework from which policy options may be considered. A jurisdiction considering new legislation should consult with counsel. Federal law prohibits carry at schools by people without carry permits 51 Under state law, can the school give people permission to carry unrelated to educational programs?

No Yes Yes, but schools can prohibit Yes, for people 20 and older on public school grounds No relevant law for non-public schools. No, with minor exception for people with concealed weapons permits Does state law allow carry by other school employees?

No see footnote for details Yes, with permission from the school Maybe, when used in a program approved by the school Private and religious schools can grant CCW permittees permission to carry on school grounds Yes, in certain circumstances Yes, as part of the school guardian program Yes, with permission from the school district Yes, with permission from the school or the district Generally, no