Hillsborough School Board to state: We do not want our teachers armed

The Hillsborough County School Board voted unanimously to reject state attempts to allow teachers to come to school armed.

A group of high school students had suggested the resolution, telling the board on Tuesday that they respect their teachers but do not want them to carry firearms - nor, they said, do the teachers want to carry guns.

The 7-0 vote followed some confusion about what they were voting on. The resolution that had been advertised made specific mention to Senate Bill 7030, which cleared the Education committee last week.

Board members Cindy Stuart and Melissa Snively pointed out that, with the session not yet under way, bills can change and not everything in S.B. 7030 is objectionable.

In the end, they approved a much shorter resolution that simply said the board would “hereby reject any and all proposals to arm the teachers employed by the School District of Hillsborough County.”