Cincinnati Public School board members have approved a resolution calling on the state and federal governments to prioritize school safety. The measure comes after several high-profile school shootings this year.
The CPS board approved a measure Wednesday that asks Congress and Ohio legislators for funding for school safety infrastructure and mental health treatment programs and for more training for school personnel.
Board member Mike Moroski says he and Board Vice President Ericka Dansby Copeland visited Capitol Hill this week and talked with representatives. "We asked for a reform on collection of gun use data, real mental health investment, banning of assault weapons, requiring universal background checks, providing substantial funding for school safety measures, and I pleaded with all of them to not make us arm teachers," said Moroski.
He says he thanked representatives for passing the Stop School Violence Act in the House, but says there needs to be more talk about it.
Board member Eve Bolton says their measure does not support a one-size-fits-all approach. "We do not want the national government and we certainly don't want the state government to force us into having any policy or arming any teachers or doing anything that our community is not in favor of," she says. "Local control is crucial and that's being threatened in both Columbus and in Washington."
Co-sponsor Melanie Bates says she wants to see Cincinnati council and Hamilton County Commissioners pass similar measures. "And the unions in this city and anyone else who would like to pass this resolution, if we have councils, parent organizations, we can send them together and say Cincinnati is united to stop gun violence in our city. And we need your help."
The resolution passed with six votes. Board President Carolyn Jones was absent.
