FIREARMS: PERSONNEL AUTHORIZED TO CARRY
Pursuant to W.S. § 6-8-105, the Board of Trustees of Fremont County School District #1 (“District”) adopts these rules for employees and volunteers of the District who wish to carry firearms on or in property or facilities owned or leased by the District, subject to the terms, conditions and limitations prescribed by state law and federal law, this rule and such other policies, rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Trustees.
DEFINITIONS
“Board” shall mean the Board of Trustees of Fremont County School District No. 1.
“Employee” shall include any person employed by Fremont County School District No. 1, including, but not limited to: the superintendent, District administrators, principals, assistant principals, teachers, guidance counselors, librarians, teacher’s aids (paraprofessionals), coaches, assistant coaches, business managers, secretaries or administrative assistants, janitors, and bus drivers and other individuals hired or compensated by the District to provide services of any kind to the District.
“Firearm” shall, for purposes of this policy, mean any weapon which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive.
“School district property” shall mean all real property, buildings, facilities and structures owned or leased by Fremont County School District No. 1, and shall also include vehicles owned or leased by the District.
“Volunteer” shall mean any person who provides time, support or assistance of any kind to or for the benefit of a student or students of the District, or to or for the benefit a school or class in the District, or to or for the benefit of District staff, while on District property, or while attending a District field trip, activity or event of any kind which is promoted, sponsored or affiliated by the District. “Volunteer” includes a person who assists, supports, supervises or participates on an ongoing basis, or for a single day, class or event, or any part of a day, class or event. Examples of volunteers shall include, but not be limited to, persons who chaperone, supervise, teach or interact with students in class, on field trips, or during activities or events; persons who are on District property to deliver food, supplies or materials; or persons who provide assistance for, or participate in events on District property for the purpose of raising funding or providing financial support for students, schools, District events, or the District.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Any District employee or volunteer who wishes to carry a firearm on school district property shall satisfy the following requirements:
I. PERMIT: The employee must possess and maintain a valid concealed carry permit issued by the State of Wyoming pursuant to W.S. § 6-8-104;
II. TRAINING: Prior to carrying a concealed weapon on school district property or to any District event or activity, employees and volunteers shall complete firearms training, which includes, at a minimum, the training and curriculum requirements described below:
A. Forty (40) hours of live fire handgun training, including but not limited to the following elements:
- Equipment selection, wear, use, and maintenance to ensure safety, retention of the firearm, and deep concealment.
- Firearms safety, including specific safety features and functions of the selected firearm.
- Loading, reloading, unloading, and function checks under all conditions.
- Stance, grip, draw, and presentation of the firearm from concealment.
- Use of ready positions.
- Identification and proper use of cover and concealment.
- Techniques for engaging multiple adversaries.
- “Failure to stop” drills.
- Weapon retention.
- Weapon malfunctions and remedial action.
- Extensive firing drills demonstrating practical accuracy at realistic ranges.
- Successful completion of the WLEA Close Range Proficiency Course at or above the standard required of law enforcement trainees.
- Shoot/no shoot training.
- Current laws defining lawful use of a firearm by a private citizen, including lawful self-defense, use of force by a private citizen, use of deadly force, transportation, and concealment.
B. Sixteen (16) hours of scenario-based training using nonlethal training firearms and ammunition. Scenarios shall:
- Include live aggressor and non-combatant role-players.
- Place individuals in the role of an armed school staff member facing an intruder, in a variety of stressful situations requiring judgment, crisis decision-making, and demonstration of firearms and tactical skills developed in live fire training.
- Replicate as nearly as possible the mental, emotional, and physical stress of an actual encounter and have clear pass/fail criteria. This training shall challenge participants in the following areas:
- Use of verbal control techniques and de-escalation where appropriate.
- Application of guidelines for the use of lethal force, including interactions with suicidal individuals.
- Understanding the events and conditions likely to exist in the event of an active shooter situation in the school.
- Safe and effective interaction with other armed staff in the school, school resource officers, arriving law enforcement officers, and emergency medical first responders.
C. Following successful completion of the initial training, the employee shall complete recurrent training of not less than twelve (12) hours every six months with an approved instructor. The training requirements and curriculum for the biannual training shall include a minimum of six (6) hours of live fire handgun training and six (6) hours of scenario-based training using nonlethal training firearms and ammunition. Recurrent training will include successful completion of the WLEA Close Range Pistol Proficiency Course at or above the standard required of law enforcement trainees and a review of evolving threats and developments in the field of school security during the preceding six months.
III. FUNDING: Upon successful training completion, the employee may request reimbursement of expenses related to carrying a firearm on school district property, such as instructor fees, ammunition, and travel expenses related to training. The District may reimburse the employee for all, some or none of the expenses requested. Whether the District reimburses any employee for any expenses will depend on several factors, including, but not limited to, the District’s budget, financial resources, the number of employees seeking reimbursement, and the amounts requested for reimbursement. A decision to reimburse any employee for all or part of their reimbursement request is not a guarantee, promise or assurance that the District will reimburse the same employee or other employees for the same or similar expenses. The District shall not be responsible for the purchase of any firearm or holster.
IV. FIREARMS KEPT ON PERSON: Each employee and volunteer who carries a concealed weapon on school district property shall keep and maintain the firearm on his or her person at all times, or in a concealed, locked, biometric container or lock box within the direct control of the individual at all times. The concealed biometric container or lock box shall be permanently affixed so it cannot be easily removed from its concealed location.
INSTRUCTOR/TRAINER QUALIFICATIONS
Instructors who train the employees of Fremont County School District No. 1 shall, at a minimum, meet the qualifications described below, in consultation with local law enforcement. These qualifications shall apply to course managers, primary instructors and anyone present and in charge of any training session.
- Experience: The instructor shall have at least three (3) years of experience in law enforcement, military or other positions responsible for public safety and/or protection of personnel or assets against violent threats which involved daily carrying of a handgun; or in the alternative, documented completion of instructor certification courses or programs that develop specific skills for the design, development, implementation and evaluation of firearms tactics and training, including tactics and training in the use of firearms in public settings.
- Firearms Safety: The instructor shall demonstrate knowledge and experience of firearms safety rules and practices regarding handling, carrying and use of handguns in public settings, including schools.
- Firearms Skills: The instructor must be familiar with firearms handling and shooting skills, specifically with modern handguns, as documented by the successful completion of standards-based training and qualification courses.
- Tactics: The instructor must be familiar with individual and small-team tactics and the use of force decision-making relevant to lethal force encounters in domestic, peacetime public settings, as documented by the successful completion of relevant training and duty performance.
- Scenario-based training: The instructor must demonstrate experience as a participant and/or instructor in scenario-based, force-on-force training using non-lethal training firearms and ammunition, including knowledge of all equipment and performance requirements to ensure participant safety.
USE OF FIREARMS
Every employee who carries a concealed firearm pursuant to this rule shall only fire his or her firearm if he or she reasonably perceives that his or her life, or the life or lives of others, are in imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury.
COMPLIANCE
Any employee who carries a concealed firearm pursuant to these rules who fails to comply with any provision of these rules will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
LIMITATIONS OF THIS POLICY
Every employee who carries a firearm pursuant to this rule shall be responsible for complying with any and all applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Nothing in this policy shall authorize a student to carry a firearm, concealed or otherwise, on school district property. Any student who carries, possesses, transports or uses a firearm on District property in any manner will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion.
No open carry of firearms shall be permitted or allowed on District property.
Adopted: July 29, 2025
FREMONT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT #1
NOTICE OF INTENT TO AMEND RULES
FOR EMPLOYEES WHO CONCEAL CARRY FIREARMS
Pursuant to W.S. § 16-3-103 and 6-8-lOS(f), NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of Fremont County School District #1 (“District”) will consider taking action to amend the rules and regulations (known as Rule CKA) for the concealed carry of firearms, at a meeting of the Board of Trustees on July 29, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., in the Board Room, 863 Sweetwater Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520. The proposed amendments to the rules amend the requirements and conditions for employees and volunteers of the District who carry concealed firearms while on District property for the purpose of protecting students and staff of the District. The proposed amendments modify the existing rules to conform to W.S. § 6-8-105(f). The proposed amended rules are posted online at the District’s website www.landerschools.org, on Facebook, and are available at the District’s main office at 863 Sweetwater Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520.
The proposed amended rules establish requirements for District employees and volunteers who conceal carry firearms at school. The proposed amended rules:
- Require employees and volunteers who wish to conceal carry a firearm to possess a valid conceal-carry permit issued by the State of Wyoming;
- Establish guidelines on what the District may or may not pay for with regard to employees who wish to carry concealed firearms on school district property
- Establish initial firearms training and biannual re-training requirements for employees and volunteers who conceal carry firearms;
- Require employees and volunteers to maintain the firearm on their person or in a concealed biometric container or box within their direct control at all times;
- Establish ongoing training requirements, curricula and instructor qualifications for the persons training employees and volunteers;
- Prohibit open carrying of firearms.
The proposed amendments would eliminate the following requirements in Rule CKA:
- The process by which employees apply to the board for permission to conceal carry a weapon;
- The requirements and guidelines for specific firearms and holsters;
- Former rules/ policies CKA-E; CKA- R2; CKA-R2-E; CKA-R3; CKA-R4 and CKA-RS;
- The requirements for, among other things, the psychological suitability examination; drug and alcohol testing; and submitting to the Wyoming Department of Family Services Central Registry Screening.
The principal reason and purpose for the proposed rules is to ensure that employees and volunteers who conceal carry firearms are trained and knowledgeable in the safe and proper use of firearms, including the use of firearms in live-fire scenarios. In keeping with the District’s current rules (adopted in 2020), the amended rules exceed the minimum substantive state statutory standards. The proposed amendments require more hours of training for employees and volunteers to conceal carry a firearm than what is required by state statute. The amended rules exceed the state statutory minimum in order to ensure that employees and volunteers who carry a concealed weapon have sufficient training to use a firearm in a safe and responsible manner in the event of an active shooter on school property, and in a manner consistent with relevant protocols and standards.
The District has complied with W.S. § 9-5-304 and determined that there are no constitutional implications as described by that law. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the assessment of the proposed rule pursuant to W.S. § 9-5-304 at 863 Sweetwater Street, Lander, WY 82520.
Interested parties may attend the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the District occurring at six o’clock p.m. on the 29th day of July, 2025, in the Board Room, at 863 Sweetwater Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520, and present their views, comments, objections or requested changes to the proposed rules.
The District will also receive public comments on the proposed rules at a public hearing on June 24, 2025, at 863 Sweetwater Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520.
All interested persons may, in addition, submit data, views or objections orally or in writing to the District at the above meetings, via web portal, or via email (info@landerschools.org) prior to July 29, 2025. The Board of Trustees of the District intends to act on these rules at its meeting on July 29, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
Dated this 4th day of June, 2025.