Watch: Here's what School Board Chair Megan Wright said about arming Brevard teachers

Brevard Public Schools is considering expanding its guardian program, which allows individuals other than school resource officers to be armed within the district. The discussion began at an Oct. 25 board meeting, with Board Chair Megan Wright mentioning the possibility of allowing teachers to participate in the program.

The discussion was prompted by Wright's visit to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School prior to the board meeting, where she heard from those impacted by the 2018 shooting. She said she wanted to make sure nothing similar ever occurs in Brevard.

"I walked away from that feeling good about where Brevard is, but also feeling like we could be better," she said.

Since then, she has shifted her position slightly, saying she doesn't want to pursue arming teachers. Matt Susin has denied at multiple points that it was ever brought up to begin with.

The issue has drawn strong response from community members, with at least 14 people speaking against arming teachers even on a voluntary basis at the Nov. 14 school board meeting. They raised concerns about what could happen if there were guns in classrooms, with worries ranging from increased violence against students of color and disabled students to potential accidents.

School board members told the public they're only in the beginning stages of considering the expansion, and that they're still exploring their options.

Watch the video about their discussion for yourself:

BPS Chief Operating Officer Rachad Wilson recently pulled together a report for board members on what the guardian program looks like in other districts. The topic was not discussed at Tuesday's meeting, or at the work session.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or [email protected]. X: @_finchwalker

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Watch: What school board members said about arming teachers in Brevard