HARROLD, Texas (AP) - A tiny Texas district will allow
teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms to
deter and protect against school shootings when classes
begin this month, provided the gun-toting employees follow
certain requirements.

The small community of Harrold in north Texas is a 30-minute
drive from the Wilbarger County Sheriff's Office, leaving
students and teachers without protection, said David
Thweatt, superintendent of the Harrold Independent School
District. The lone campus of the 110-student district sits
near a heavily traveled highway, which could make it a
target, he argued.

"When the federal government started making schools gun-free
zones, that's when all of these shootings started. Why would
you put it out there that a group of people can't defend
themselves? That's like saying 'sic 'em' to a dog," Thweatt
said in a story published Friday on the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram's Web site.

Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of
School Boards, said her organization did not know of another
district with such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based
school security expert who advises districts nationwide,
said Harrold is the first district with such a policy.

Trustees approved the policy change last year. For employees
to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a
concealed handgun; must be authorized to carry by the
district; must receive training in crisis management and
hostile situations; and must ammunition designed to minimize
the risk of ricocheting bullets.

Officials researched the policy and considered other options
for about a year before approving the policy change, Thweatt
said. The district also has other measures in place to
prevent a school shooting, he said.

"The naysayers think (a shooting) won't happen here. If
something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a
parent to tell them that their child is OK because we were
able to protect them," Thweatt said.

Texas law outlaws firearms at schools unless specific
institutions allow them.

It isn't clear how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff
members will be armed this fall because Thweatt did not
disclose that information, to keep it from students or
potential attackers.