Lawrence students don't need chemical sprays in school or on buses for defensive purposes, the district's top safety officer says.
"I see no reason to have it in Lawrence schools," said Tom Bracciano, supervisor of safety and transportation.
The Blue Valley school board followed in the footsteps of Kansas City, Kan., school officials by revising their weapons policy to allow high school students to carry Mace or other agents designed for self-defense.
In Blue Valley, students will be allowed to carry small canisters of spray, such as the kind that attach to key rings and contain eight half-second blasts. Students caught with the high-powered version used by law enforcement would be subject to suspension.
Under previous Blue Valley policy, a student who sprayed anyone with Mace could be expelled for one year. That's the same punishment as carrying a loaded gun.
A Lawrence student was suspended last year for spraying Mace on a school bus, Bracciano said.
He said the policy now in place in Blue Valley and Kansas City, Kan., might be tricky to administer. Drawing a line on defensive use will be difficult, he said.
"It can be used as a defensive as well as an offensive weapon," Bracciano said.
But he said he could appreciate the perspective of parents who believe their children require protection when walking to or from school. Perhaps those students' canisters could be stored in a school principal's office during the day, he said.
-- Tim Carpenter's phone message number is 832-7155. His e-mail address is tcarpenter@ljworld.com.
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