The federal funds allotted to states for academic support can be used to buy firearms for the teachers if U.S. Department of Education gives concrete shape to its plans.
According to a New York Times report, U.S. education secretary Besty DeVos is examining whether to allow the use of academic support fund for the purchase of guns.
“The department is constantly considering and evaluating policy issues, particularly issues related to school safety,” Liz Hill, a spokeswoman for the Education Department told New York Times.
The move, if implemented, will contravene the federal stand on not paying for arming schools with guns.
“As recently as March, Congress passed a school safety bill that allocated $50 million a year to local school districts but expressly prohibited the use of the money for firearms,” reads the report.
The latest development has caused outrage among various quarters, with some calling for a rollback of the plans.
Teachers are asking for raises, new books & more money for school supplies.
Besty DeVos wants to buy them guns.
Her plan would divert crucial education funds away from kids & into the hands of the #NRA. It's absurd & will only put more lives at risk. Congress will fight this. https://t.co/ipyVwU5Tdw
— Kathleen Rice (@RepKathleenRice) August 23, 2018
“We knew Betsy DeVos would try to do the bidding of the National Rifle Association and the gun manufacturers, but to even consider diverting resources used to support poor kids to flood schools with more guns is beyond the recklessness we believed she was willing to pursue,” The American Federation of Teachers said in a statement.
This makes me sick to my stomach. We need to pass gun reform laws to keep our kids safe, and invest in education to open doors for their future — not use taxpayer money to arm our teachers. @BetsyDeVosED is the worst Education Secretary ever. https://t.co/vdFICrPDb5
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) August 23, 2018
“DeVos wants to turn schools into armed fortresses and make kids and educators less safe. She wants to turn the U.S. government into an arms dealer for schools. That’s insane.”
After the Times report, a senior Trump administration official told CNN that the department never considered giving the nod to weaponry for schools.