SPRINGTOWN, Texas -- It's no secret that rural Springtown tends to be a little more conservative.
School district superintendent Mike Kelley still wasn't quite sure what to expect when they recently circulated a survey asking about guns and teachers. "Nationally, people might come down more 50/50," he said. "But here, locally, it was pretty overwhelming support for the idea."
Of the hundreds of responses, more than 80 percent of community members, as well as 80 percent of the district's staff, said they were thought "highly-trained staff members" should be eligible to carry on campus.
The school board gave the green light this week for administrators to roll out a program that will do just that. "This is a challenge. It's not one we take lightly," Kelley said on Wednesday.
The program will be voluntary, require that participants undergo mental evaluations, and insist on strict training. The person would need to already have a Texas-issued LTC, or License to Carry.
WFAA spotlighted the intense training some educators are now undergoing a few months ago.
Instructor Bryan Proctor says he's now certified well over 100 educators across the state just on his own. There are nearly three dozen other instructors like him across the state. "Especially for smaller areas, there's just a better response to it for districts that don't have some of the resources that others do," said Proctor.
In Springtown, Kelley points out they've also recently adopted other security measurements to increase security. "At our campuses, we've added a second set of doors funneling people straight into offices rather than schools," he said.
They also are adding a second school resource officer for the coming year. It wasn't immediately clear when teachers might start carrying, and Kelley said he's certainly had some concerns voiced by parents and staff alike. "We've thought a lot about this," he said. "I hate that it's a decision that even had to be made."