The implementation of Tamaqua Area School District Policy 705 has divided the community, bringing with it two lawsuits, one by the Tamaqua Education Association union and the other by a group of parents. Opponents of the district are taking issue with the school board’s plan to place weapons in the hands of willing staff members.

Tuesday night, the policy divided the very committee that wrote it, when the safety committee voted on a proposal to suspend policy 705, “pending a resolution as to its validity by the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County.”

The vote to suspend the policy was 2-to-1, with board President Larry Wittig and member Thomas Rottet voting for suspension and Nicholas Boyle voting to continue the policy.

Policy 705 was passed by the school board in October, after being proposed by Boyle. It was created with a worst-case scenario in mind, according to Wittig.

The teachers’ union and public were caught off-guard, with critics saying they only learned of it after it passed unanimously. A group of almost 100 concerned residents attended a board meeting in November to ask for the policy to be rescinded. When the board declined, the group Tamaqua Citizens for Safe Schools was created.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the group said, “While we are not against guns being in our schools to protect our children, we want those weapons to only be handled by trained professionals, not our children’s teachers.”

Opponents of the policy presented board members with a variety of safety measures to implement instead of arming staff. The board did take those suggestions under advisement, starting with random metal detector checks.

In addition to suspending the policy last night, the board also discussed other safety measures, with an update provided by Superintendent Raymond Kinder. They including a shooter detection system, quoted to cost $240,000; seeking costs to redesign building entryways; pursuit of a $100,000 safety grant; additional research on two safety alert apps, CrisisGo and Safe2Say. The Safe2Say app has been mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Kinder says the district wants to make sure the two apps are compatible.

The district is also entering the next phase of Active Shooter Response Training, otherwise known as ALICE training. The second phase will involve students and will begin Feb. 14. Letters about the training will be mailed to parents in the near future.

The board also agreed to hold a budget workshop session on Feb. 19, after the regular board meeting.

The issues discussed Tuesday night at the committee meeting will be voted on by the full board on Jan. 15.