No permits issued to carry guns at school as Iowa works to implement new law

The state of Iowa has not issued any permits for school employees to carry guns on school property under a new law, and it’s still not clear if public schools will be able to arm staff without risking the loss of their insurance coverage.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law in April allowing school staff to get a professional permit to carry a firearm on school property. School boards get to decide if staff can be armed at school.

The permitting process has not started because the administrative rules for implementing the law are not yet in place, according to Iowa Department of Public Safety spokesperson Tawny Kruse. The rules are open for public comment through Aug. 13, and it will likely take about two months for them to go into effect.

Kruse also said the department had to hire one additional full-time employee to handle new duties related to weapons permits for educators.

“That position has now been filled, and we’re working to develop processes for approving training curriculum and tracking permit holder training,” Kruse said in an email Monday.

The new law says the names of people who get an educator gun permit are confidential and are not subject to the state’s public records laws.

School districts were already allowed to arm staff under Iowa law, but two districts that chose to do so repealed their policies last year after EMC Insurance informed them that their property and casualty insurance coverage would not be renewed.

Republican lawmakers tried to address that issue by creating the educator weapons permit with specific training requirements, and by establishing in Iowa law that school districts with armed staff who are up-to-date on their training have qualified immunity from criminal or civil liability for the reasonable use of force.

But EMC Insurance, a prominent insurance provider for Iowa’s public schools, provided a statement Monday that did not say if the company would be able to insure schools that arm staff.

“We believe the new school security law may provide more options for schools to find coverage that fits their needs if they choose to arm school employees,” said Sarah Buckley, EMC’s vice president of corporate communications and community impact. “We are analyzing the new law and its implications as we continue to evaluate options in this evolving marketplace.”

Buckley said they “respect every school’s right to choose the policies they believe to be in their best interests,” and EMC continues to insure schools that provide armed security with trained law enforcement or school resource officers.

Even if other insurance providers are willing to step in, they could charge far more for coverage than what districts are currently paying.

It’s also not clear how many of Iowa’s 325 public school districts are seriously considering arming staff.

“Inquiries from school districts have been minimal to date, though it may be too early to assess overall interest,” Buckley said.

A KCCI report last month found in a survey of 106 districts that four were “discussing” arming staff.

At least one private school, Siouxland Christian School in Sioux City, had armed staff starting in January, before the new law was passed.