CLERMONT COUNTY — A school district in Ohio has generated buzz online after placing new signs outside school buildings, according to our media partners in Cincinnati, WCPO-9 TV.
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New Richmond Exempted Village School District has placed the signs to coincide with the launch of its armed staff program, according to Superintendent Tracey Miller.
“Attention. Please be aware that the staff may be armed and will use whatever force is necessary to protect our students and staff,” the sign reads.
Miller said these signs are intended to act as a deterrence to those who may threaten the school community, WCPO-9 reported.
“It’s just so that everybody understands the importance of, if they’re about to make a bad decision, what the repercussions could be,” Miller said. “We don’t want there to be any vagueness.”
On social media, photos of the signs were shared hundreds of times, with an overwhelmingly positive response, WCPO-9 reported.
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“It’s about time!” wrote one Facebook user on a photograph of the sign. “I certainly feel better about my child, niece and nephews being at school now!”
Another user commented, “What took so long?”
Even though a majority of those responding online supported the new signs, some expressed concern.
“I saw that this morning,” wrote one Facebook user. “I wasn’t very happy to find out that way.”
The district launched its armed staff program this semester, Miller said.
According to district guidelines, weapons must be concealed and employees who are armed must respond to violent intruders when made aware of them.
The district has a resource officer who serves the middle and high school campuses and has part-time help on elementary campuses, WCPO-9 reported.
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“Bad guys don’t schedule a time where they’re going to show up and tell you when they’re going to do something bad, they just show up,” Miller said. “So we need to be prepared.”
Across Ohio, more than 60 school districts have submitted rosters of armed staff to the state, according to a list from the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
New Richmond Exempted Village School District was not listed among those with approved rosters, WCPO-9 reported.
“The list of 61 schools who have submitted a roster of authorized staff is accurate as of (Thursday). The Ohio School Safety Center does not disclose where schools are in the process until they have completed the process and submitted rosters of authorized armed staff,” a representative from the state wrote.
WCPO-9 reached out to the district but has not received a response.