Mat-Su School Board approves teacher concealed carry program

What you need to know:

• The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board voted to approve a program allowing qualified teachers and staff members to carry concealed weapons in schools. Supporters say the effort is intended to improve school safety.
• Participants must hold an Alaska concealed carry permit, complete 24-40 hours of initial training and 8-24 hours of annual training, pass psychological evaluations and provide their own firearms. Participants would receive a $500 annual stipend.
• The program is estimated to cost about $450,000 in its first year, according to an updated cost estimate released this month. Under the policy, the district superintendent is required to develop a framework and procedures for the program but is not required to implement it.

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PALMER — The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board last week voted to approve a new program allowing teachers and staff members to carry concealed weapons in schools, provided they meet a series of training requirements and pass two health screenings.

The program is meant to improve safety in district schools, some school board members said last month. Armed teachers and staff would supplement local Wasilla and Palmer police officers, whom the district pays to monitor some schools across the region.

The school board approved the policy 5-2, with members Tom Bergey and Ole Larson voting no because they believe the board lacks the authority under Alaska law to direct Superintendent Randy Trani to establish such a program.

Would-be participants must hold an Alaska concealed carry permit and complete between 24 and 40 hours of initial training to qualify, then between eight and 24 hours of annual training to remain in the program, according to a policy update approved Wednesday.

Participants must supply their own weapons and will receive a $500 annual stipend, the policy states. The payment is intended to help cover training costs, officials said. 

Participants also must undergo a psychological evaluation before joining and complete additional screenings after experiencing a "life-altering event," as defined by a district policy that has not yet been written.

The program is expected to cost about $450,000 in its first year, including insurance, a consultant to help establish the program and costs associated with 10 participants, district officials said during a regular school board meeting Wednesday.

That estimate is lower than a preliminary program budget presented last month, which projected first-year costs of about $700,000 and included funding for 150 participants and a full-time program coordinator.

The coordinator may not be necessary, and they do not expect 150 staff members to enroll during the first year, district officials said Wednesday.

While the new policy directs Trani to establish a series of written procedures for implementing the program, it does not require him to launch it. Authorizing staff members to participate — the step that would trigger spending on the effort — is optional, according to the policy. 

The school district is facing a deficit of more than $25 million heading into the 2026-27 school year and is implementing a series of deep cuts to address the shortfall, including closing three schools.

Funding approved by the state Legislature could provide Mat-Su with about $18 million more than previously expected, officials said Wednesday.

The district is now waiting for that money to be signed into law by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. If it's approved, the district plans to use it to restore student activity transportation, including for sports, pay for increased employee health care costs, repair the Talkeetna Elementary School roof and bolster a reserve account used during funding emergencies.

Dunleavy is expected to veto some or all of that funding, a district lobbyist based in Juneau told the board during the meeting.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com