Hanover
Dresden School Board Chairman Neil Odell said the board moved swiftly on the topic and had a first reading of a draft policy last month.
It likely will come up for a formal School Board vote next week, he said, and odds are it will pass.
“We would like to think that our schools are a safe place and that we can go through the business of trying to teach and educate the kids without having to worry about the possibility that someone on the premises would be carrying a weapon,” Odell said, “which I think would be a bit of a distraction to our primary objective.”
The conversation about guns in schools started in the Upper Valley in March, when state Rep. David Binford, R-Orford, came armed to a Rivendell playoff basketball game. Binford, who also coaches softball at the school, had been asked to provide security, but officials said they didn’t think he would come with a sidearm on his hip.
That raised questions about who can bring guns into schools in New Hampshire and what types of enforcement measures are in place. The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act prohibits guns on school grounds, with some exceptions, but the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office previously told the Valley News that local law enforcement can’t enforce federal laws such as that one.
Both Dresden and Rivendell are interstate school districts. Vermont has a law on its books that mimics the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, stating it is a crime for a citizen to possess a firearm or other deadly weapon while in a school building, on a school bus or on school property, with only limited exceptions, meaning local police can enforce a ban on guns at the Marion Cross School in Norwich.
But New Hampshire doesn’t have a comparable law on its books, prompting Dresden school officials to consider a policy for Hanover High School and Richmond Middle School. SAU 70 Superintendent Frank Bass said the Hanover School Board also is likely to adopt the policy for the Bernice A. Ray School.
The discussion for Dresden officials also came up around Town Meeting time because Hanover High School is used as a polling place.
The Rivendell School Board on Tuesday passed a policy that says only uniformed officers will provide security at school events. Now, that board has shifted gears to see what else can be done to limit firearms on campus; it isn’t quite as far along as Dresden is.
Rivendell Superintendent Mike Harris said the district’s attorney is currently researching and preparing a draft policy for the board to consider regarding guns in schools. He said he isn’t sure how far the policy will go or how enforcement of such a policy would work. The discussion is preliminary, he noted, adding, “I think there is likely something to be prepared for the board’s July meeting.”
Harris said he knew that Dresden officials were considering some type of policy, but didn’t know much about their efforts.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if our intents are the same,” Harris said.
The Hanover policy that will likely go up for a vote next week states, “No person on school property or at a school event shall … possess dangerous devices, firearms or other weapons.” The policy indicates that someone in violation “may be” ordered to leave school grounds, and that law enforcement may be contacted. The policy also extends to teachers.
“Additionally, the district reserves the right to issue ‘no trespass’ letters to any person whose conduct violates this policy, acceptable standards of conduct, or creates a disruption to the school district’s educational purpose,” the proposed policy states.
Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis said his agency wouldn’t be able to enforce the policy because police departments can only enforce state laws.
However, if someone is violating the policy and refuses to leave, that person could be cited with a trespassing violation, for example, he said, noting Dresden consulted with him about the proposed policy a few months ago.
The Dresden board also has been working on a second policy that would tighten language regarding students bringing guns onto school grounds, which is already against federal law. That policy also likely will be put to a vote on Tuesday.
“Our preeminent concern is for the safety and welfare of our student body,” Bass said on Wednesday. “That cuts into the heart and soul of what this is all about.”
Rivendell Dean of Students Michael Galli has been a big proponent of getting a statewide law passed that would take the burden off of individual school boards in New Hampshire. State Sen. Martha Hennessey, D-Hanover, has agreed to sponsor a bill to prohibit guns on school grounds. It is in its early stages.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.