Medina Independent School District superintendent Penny White told KENS 5 Friday the sign was installed this week in hopes that it might make anyone “think twice” who may be considering doing anything to harm the students.
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Medina ISD houses a total of 303 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 on one campus.
“I have not had one negative comment”, she said.
Another Medina ISD parent expressed mixed feelings, saying: “I don’t know if that’s asking for trouble or not”.
White said there wasn’t anything that triggered the placement of the sign, but she hopes it’ll deter any type of violence at the school.
After discussing the matter for a year, the boards of trustees say they ultimately felt the sign was necessary based on “the general environment nationally”, not a specific incident.
White said the school is located in a remote location.
The sign was placed by a school entrance Wednesday, and two other signs will eventually join the first.
“I think you’ve got to do whatever you’ve got to do”, Bandera County resident Genie Strickland said.
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White wouldn’t disclose with KSAT whether any staff members are actually armed, but she says they take safety seriously. A school board can instead appoint one armed marshal per 400 students, although, this plan does not apply to schools with less than 400 students. In 2014, around 70 school districts enacted guardian plans.
