Colton, S.D., is a small community that sits 25 miles northwest of Sioux Falls. Due to its remote location, should a crisis arise, help would not come quickly.
That’s the reason the Tri-Valley School District has moved ahead with a program that authorizes approved employees to carry guns. So far, one applicant has been approved and has met the training requirements.
In March 2013, South Dakota lawmakers passed a law allowing for the option of arming teachers and administrators. But it was an incident at another school that spurred Tri-Valley’s decision. At that high school, a student was charged with attempted murder after he shot and wounded the principal. The teenager was eventually tackled and held down until the police arrived.
Tri-Valley School District Superintendent Mike Lodmel estimates that at least 50 parents or community members have expressed their strong support for the program.
