(ABC 6 News) – School districts across Iowa now have to consider whether they want to allow staff members to carry firearms.

It comes after a new law went into effect July 1, permitting school employees to carry guns on school grounds, in the wake of the Perry school shooting.

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At the Mason City school board meeting on Monday, this was one of a record number of policies board members discussed ahead of the new school year.

Board members are all in agreement; they don’t think arming school staff is the right way to keep students safe.

“There’s a lot to go into it, even if you pick the second part of the option, which is you may arm, you still have to build a regulation and everything that goes along with that, so you’d be even a long ways away from doing that,” said Superintendent Pat Hamilton.

Legislators in favor of the law see it as a way to improve school safety, but educators in Mason City have doubts allowing guns in schools will keep anyone safe.

“I think all schools look at being as safe as they can be, but I don’t know if arming teachers makes you more safe or not,” said Hamilton.

“Just the thought of having a gun in school and having one of our staff be in control of it, to me just terrifies me,” said Mason City school board President Cindy Garza.

Even though the law would require any armed staff members to go through proper training, board members say teachers are not police officers, so it’s not their responsibility to be in charge of a weapon.

“Part of their day-to-day job as a police officer is to have a gun. Part of the day-to-day job as a schoolteacher is to teach our students and make them feel safe,” said Garza.

The Mason City school board will make a final decision on the policy at one of their August meetings, but have not yet determined which one.

Until then, you can reach out to the school board to share your thoughts on the policy.