The Williamson County Board of Education met on Wednesday morning to bring back a discussion about posting signs reminding handgun permit carriers that guns are not allowed at school events.
With the pending ‘guns in parks’ legislation being passed through the House and Senate of Tennessee, the Williamson County school board is concerned that permit carriers may carry into a school athletic event since the legislation would allow guns to be carried in any public park. It is not always obvious that a school sponsored event is going on.
The Williamson County school board unanimously approved appropriating $6,000 for plastic A-Frames with aluminum signs that read “-Felony- State law prescribes a maximum penalty of six (6) years imprisonment and a fine not to exceed three thousand ($3,000) for carrying weapons on property being used by a school.” The signs are the same as ones posted around schools, with a little tweak to the language specifying “any property used by a school.”
Guns in parks caused concern for the school board initially because carrying a gun to a school event is a felony, but legislation allowing guns in parks that are owned by governments means that Williamson County Parks and Recreation facilities will now allow those with a carrier permit to carry guns onto the property.
“It’s really a practical issue and not a legal issue,” said WCS Deputy Superintendent Jason Golden.
The signs will be placed by school officials before the start of school events at public parks and taken down after the event is over.
The next regular meeting of the Williamson County Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, April 20 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Administrative Complex.
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