ALEDO, ILLINOIS– Mercer County School Board members voted in support of a resolution for the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) to push for a legislation change that would permit safety plans to include allowing staff the option to conceal carry. The resolution passed with a vote of 4 -1 on Wednesday, May 16.
The resolution still needs to be adopted by the IASB, written into a bill on the state level that would have to pass both the House and Senate, and signed by the Illinois Governor. If all of that happens, the Mercer County School Board may then reconsider the issue.
Mercer County School Board President Julie Wagner said the concern for student safety grows with the trend of school shootings.
Wagner says the resolution could help tackle problems rural school districts face.
“The more rural your school district is the further away your building could possibly be from law enforcement,” said Wagner.
Mercer County is made up of five school buildings in three towns. When it comes to square miles, the county is the fifth largest in the state. There is one school resource officer in the district.
Illinois law currently prohibits any armed adults on school grounds except for law enforcement officers.
