Questions Swirl Around Rancho Cordova School District's Gun Policy

RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) — Parents are questioning a school district's policy allowing staff to have guns on campus.

CBS13 first brought you news about the superintendent's letter to parents clarifying the six-year-old policy on the CBS13 News at 10 on Tuesday night.

The Folsom Cordova Unified School District hasn't had any scares in the past, but it says the policy is an extra layer of security.

Shannon Wolfe, a mother of two children, is all for having school officials strapped up for safety.

"There should be people to defend the students if there's an emergency," she said.

The school district's six-year-old policy allows qualified school officials to store their firearm on campus and use it in case of an emergency. The officials must have a concealed carry weapons permit and those officials cannot be teachers.

"No classrooms have guns, and no teachers can store them in their rooms," said district spokesman Dan Thigpen.

Only the superintendent and law enforcement know where the firearms are stored, he said.

But how useful are those guns if they're locked up during an emergency?

"No plan is foolproof," Thigpen said. "But it's really about having that extra line of defense."

The extra line of defense is invaluable, says Chris Dixon, whose son attends Russell Ranch Elementary. He wasn't aware of the policy until Wednesday, but he says he's in favor of the extra security.

"My biggest fear is if there's active shooter," he said.

The school district's 33 campuses have active-shooter training sessions, and Thigpen says additional security measures to keep school staff ready if a dangerous situation were to unfold.