Campbell County School District crafts policy in preparation of repeal of gun-free zones

GILLETTE — The Campbell County School District is working to make sure it’s ready for July 1, when school district properties are no longer gun-free zones.

Wyoming lawmakers did away with gun-free zones this past legislative session, passing a bill to allow concealed carry at public schools, community colleges, the University of Wyoming and state-owned government buildings.

In Campbell County, school board members Mark Christensen, Mary Brunner and Timothy Hallinan served on the policy committee, working with district staff to craft a policy.

Christensen said school districts around the state are having their hands tied by the actions of the legislature.

“They think they’re making things safer,” he said Tuesday night. “I hope they’re right.”

The school board passed two policies on first and final reading Tuesday. One is to prohibit open carry on school grounds, while the other prohibits students from carrying guns, whether they’re concealed or not, on school property.

A longer existing policy, which deals with school district employees who may want to concealed-carry, has quite a few more changes and is currently open for a 45-day public comment period.

Several years ago, the school district created and adopted an armed educator policy, allowing employees in the six rural schools to carry concealed firearms.

School district deputy superintendent Kirby Eisenhauer noted that the proposed changes to the concealed-carry policy, particularly when it comes to the requirements, are “much less than they have been in the past,” because when the district first developed this policy, “we wanted to make real sure that the person carrying was responsible, tested and had a lot of training.”

“With the legislature’s actions, we felt we needed to reduce that some, in order to not be challenged,” he said.

This policy deals solely with district employees.

Any district employee who wishes to carry must submit an application to the armed educator committee, made up of a school board member and members of district administration. This group will make decisions on whether that employee can carry, but there is an appeal process where the employee may challenge the decision and take it to the school board.

Before an employee can carry, he must complete 24 hours of live-fire handgun training and eight hours of scenario-based training — defined as “scripted scenarios using live aggressor and noncombatant role-players where the participant utilizes non-lethal training firearms and ammunition.” This is reduced from 32 hours of live-fire training and 24 hours of scenario-based training.

Eisenhauer said he’s been in talks with local law enforcement about providing that training for the school district.

The employee also must complete four hours of training in “immediate lifesaving medical care for gunshot victims,” equivalent to the American College of Surgeons’ Stop the Bleed training. This is one requirement that was not included in the previous policy.

The annual training requirements will be lowered as well, going from 12 hours of live-fire training to four hours, to go along with four hours of scenario-based training, down from 12 hours.

And after an incident, the district will require the employee to undergo a psychological evaluation.

Eisenhauer said he’s talked with a firm that conducts these evaluations for a couple of school districts that already allow concealed-carry. The evaluation consists of two parts: a personality assessment, and a clinical assessment. Once the evaluation is complete, the school district will receive a sheet of paper that just says whether the employee is fit to carry.

None of the details that go into that decision will be given to the district, Eisenhauer said.

The proposed changes to the policy are available on the school district’s website, ccsd.k12.wy.us, as well as in the district’s main office building at 1000 West Eighth Street. It is up for 45 days of public comment. The district will hold two public hearings on the policy in the coming months, with the school board to vote on final approval at its July 16 meeting.

This story was published on May 16, 2025.