Signs at Bethel Local Schools let public know staff is armed

ajc.com

At least 43 school buildings in Ohio have armed staff members to improve security.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety won’t say which districts have those armed staff members, but at Bethel Local Schools they put it right on the door.

In 2017, the school board unanimously voted to allow staff members to be armed in the building.

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According to the 63-page report from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, “each school is unique and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for improving school security. Given its primary mission of education, each school must evaluate security in relation to its own needs, budget and values.”

The armed staff at Bethel Local Schools is only part of what they have done to step up security.

From 2011 to 2017, the district didn’t have a school resource officer, but now they’re one of four districts in Miami County to utilize the sheriff’s department for help.

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