Resolutions

Whereas, St. Anthony - New Brighton Schools is committed to the safety and security of all people in our school community;

Whereas, Evidence strongly suggests that secure firearm storage is an essential component to any effective strategy to keep schools and students safe;

Whereas, An estimated 4.6 million American children live in households with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm;

Whereas, Every year, roughly 350 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. That’s nearly one unintentional shooting per day, and 70 percent of these incidents take place inside a home;

Whereas, Another 1,200 children and teens die by gun suicide each year, most often using guns belonging to a family member;

Whereas, In incidents of gun violence on school grounds, 75 percent of active shooters were current students or recent graduates;

Whereas, Research shows that secure firearm storage practices are associated with up to an 85 percent reduction in the risk of self-inflicted and unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens;

Whereas, The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center recommends the importance of appropriate storage of firearms because 76 percent of school shooters used firearms acquired from the homes of parents or close relatives;

Whereas, Across the country, lawmakers, community members, and local leaders are working together to implement public awareness campaigns, such as the Be SMART program, which is endorsed by the National PTA and which encourages secure gun
storage practices and highlights the public safety risks of unsecured guns;

Whereas, School districts across the country have begun to proactively send materials home to parents and guardians informing them of applicable firearm storage laws and firearm secure storage best practices;

Whereas, Keeping students, teachers and staff safe from the threat of gun violence should be the responsibility of all adult stakeholders at each of our school sites;

Whereas, State law requires adults to securely store their firearms where a child may or is likely to gain unauthorized access to a firearm;

Whereas, In order to continue with preventative measures to increase student and school safety we must act now; now therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board directs the Superintendent and staff to update the Student Handbook to include information about the importance of secure gun storage, the legal requirements of parents and guardians to securely store their firearms, and that the best
practice for secure gun storage is to keep all guns unloaded, locked up, and separate from ammunition;

Resolved further, That the Board directs the Superintendent to create an appropriate letter to parents and guardians that explains the importance of secure gun storage in preventing minors from accessing guns, the legal requirements of parents and guardians to securely store their firearms, and that the best practice for secure gun storage is to keep all guns unloaded, locked up, and separate from ammunition, to be included in annual registration materials at each school site, and, be it finally;

Resolved, That the Board and the Superintendent will continue to work with local law enforcement agencies, health agencies, and nonprofits to collaborate and increase efforts to inform District parents of their obligations regarding secure storage of firearms in their homes.

References:

• Minnesota Statute 606.666
• 4.6 million children in the US live in a home with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm
• Every year, nearly 360 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else
• The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Teens
• The US Secret Service found that roughly three-quarters of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative

View the PDF resolution