The Garden Valley School (Idaho) district has bought rifles and ammunition to protects students and staff in case of security threats.
KBOI-TV says the district has acquired four rifles for $680 each and 2,000 rounds of ammunition. The weapons are stored at Garden Valley's K-12 campus, and sheriff's deputies have trained a handful of staff members on use of the rifles. The district is also considering spending up to $2,000 to purchase extra magazine rounds and body armor vests, according to school board minutes.
"We just have to protect our kids and we didn't want to do it in a haphazard way," says Marc Gee, Garden Valley School District superintendent. "I have yet to have a community member come in and say 'why are you doing this?'"
Garden Valley is a rural community about 50 miles north of Boise. The district has an enrollment of a little more than 200 students.
