(Reuters) - A small town Ohio school board voted unanimously to allow four employees who have permits to carry concealed weapons to bring their guns to school once they have some tactical training, the school superintendent said on Friday.
Jamie Grime, superintendent of the Montpelier Village schools in western Ohio, would not identify the four employees but said they are not teachers.
The Ohio decision comes as school boards and administrators across the country grapple with how to keep students safe following the massacre of 20 small children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last month.
The National Rifle Association, which advocates for gun owners, has proposed putting armed guards in every school. President Barack Obama and some other politicians want more controls on the possession and purchases of guns and ammunition.
While some schools nationwide have armed guards or a police presence on the grounds, allowing teachers or school support workers to bear arms is more controversial.
Ohio law leaves the decision of who can carry a gun on school grounds up to the individual districts, provided those who are armed have proper state concealed carry permits.
