Firearm Safety Curriculum Supported By Wayne Township School Board

WAYNE, NJ — Wayne Schools officials will consider how best to educate students on firearm safety, after a state report highlighted how gun violence and accidental firearm discharges are “one of the most significant challenges to the well-being of our children.”

At the July 13 meeting, board member Cathy Kazan suggested referring a New Jersey School Boards Association report on gun safety to the board’s Technology, Safety & Security Committee, for them to make recommendations.

“We believe this is something we should act upon,” she said.

The board approved her motion to refer the 60-page report, titled “Processes, Programs and Practices for Safety in School, Home and Community,” to the committee.

The committee will meet, and make recommendations to the board and administration for how to foster a safer environment for Wayne students.

“There's not really anything for us to do as a board, other than send a message to the administration that we believe that this is something we should act upon at their recommendation; whatever they feel is going to work best for this community,” Kazan said.

The NJSBA Firearms Safety Task Force released the report in late February, in an effort to identify “proactive, preventative programs, processes and actions designed to keep students, their families and others safe.”

The state association asked local boards of education, parents, and the surrounding communities to work together in reviewing strategies tailored to their local needs.

“The Association believes the answer to the problem partly lies in local boards of education collaborating with parents, students and the community at large to promote firearm safety, prevent gun violence and address the physical and emotional toll that such violence has on our children,” the NJBSA said in its report.

The report also includes suggested lesson plans for gun safety for children in schools, tailored based on their age, to educate them on what to do if they see a gun or hear that someone may bring a gun to school.

Board member Michael Fattal, a firearms owner, said he thinks education is important. Fattal said parents can have conversations with their children at home, but added that “positive reinforcement in the schools, as well, would be very helpful.”

Fattal and several other board members said they want to make firearm safety a community-wide issue, and bring parents, police, and experts in on the conversation. Board member Ryan Battershill said the conversation should also include students' mental health, and use resources from existing programs for a "holistic view of safety."