BRYANT, AR — A private school in Bryant is in the national spotlight, commended for its decision to train and arm its staff.
“I just felt like with what’s going on in many of the public sectors, where there seems to be a lot of shootings, we need to take the same stance that we do in church on Sunday for our kids Monday through Friday,” says Pastor Perry Black.
Pastor Black has armed security during Sunday service, but now his school will be seeing the same thing five days a week.
He posted some signs in front of the Arkansas Christian Academy in Bryant that read, “Staff is armed and trained. Any attempt to harm children will be met with deadly force.”
Pastor Black says about one to seven staff members are armed on any given day.
“We have the same law enforcement officers that have helped us through training and helped us through our concealed carry permits,” he says.
The staff has been training since the beginning of 2013, following the deadly Connecticut school shooting.
A ruling from Attorney General Dustin McDaniel earlier in August determined that to arm staff in Arkansas’ public schools violated state law.
On Wednesday, however, Republican gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman is praising the Bryant school, saying in a statement: “I admire the school’s administrator, Perry Black, for recognizing that every moment counts when a gun-toting criminal intent on taking innocent lives is on campus.”
“We certainly recognize his authority and his right to his opinion and we reserve our right as American citizens and as Christians to protect the children on our campus,” said Pastor Black.
Pastor Black said staff and parents are very excited to be a part of the program that puts the safety of their children No. 1.
“I just felt like with what’s going on in many of the public sectors, where there seems to be a lot of shootings, we need to take the same stance that we do in church on Sunday for our kids Monday through Friday,” says Pastor Perry Black.
Pastor Black has armed security during Sunday service, but now his school will be seeing the same thing five days a week.
He posted some signs in front of the Arkansas Christian Academy in Bryant that read, “Staff is armed and trained. Any attempt to harm children will be met with deadly force.”
Pastor Black says about one to seven staff members are armed on any given day.
“We have the same law enforcement officers that have helped us through training and helped us through our concealed carry permits,” he says.
The staff has been training since the beginning of 2013, following the deadly Connecticut school shooting.
A ruling from Attorney General Dustin McDaniel earlier in August determined that to arm staff in Arkansas’ public schools violated state law.
On Wednesday, however, Republican gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman is praising the Bryant school, saying in a statement: “I admire the school’s administrator, Perry Black, for recognizing that every moment counts when a gun-toting criminal intent on taking innocent lives is on campus.”
“We certainly recognize his authority and his right to his opinion and we reserve our right as American citizens and as Christians to protect the children on our campus,” said Pastor Black.
Pastor Black said staff and parents are very excited to be a part of the program that puts the safety of their children No. 1.