What to know after a parent brought a firearm onto school grounds in P-O school district

A parent inadvertently brought a firearm onto Osceola Mills Elementary School property last week, an incident that officials say was turned over to law enforcement.

Superintendent Dan Potutschnig said the firearm was accidentally brought onto school property on April 24 by a parent who was waiting for school dismissal. The parent was on the grounds for eight minutes and did not enter the building.

The district posted a letter to families informing them on the incident on Facebook the next day.

“When asked by the school police officer, this parent communicated that he did inadvertently possess a weapon and immediately cooperated and turned the weapon over to the school police officer who then took possession of the firearm,” Potutschnig wrote in an email to the CDT.

Potutschnig said school police officers turned over the investigation to Pennsylvania State Police and the Clearfield County District Attorney’s office. It does not appear that charges had been filed as of Monday.

PSP and the Clearfield District Attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Under Pennsylvania law, bringing any kind of weapon into school buildings or grounds, including firearms, constitutes a first-degree misdemeanor. Penalties for a first-degree misdemeanor include “a fine of not less than $1,500 nor more than $10,000, or imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both.”

Following the incident, district administrators will also review and consider updating safety protocols, Potutschnig said.

Who is allowed to carry weapons on school campuses?

In short, very few people. Only school resource officers and school police officers and security officers employed by the district are authorized to be armed. School resource officers (SROs) are local police officers contracted out to school districts, while school police officers (SPOs) are law enforcement officers who are employed by the school or independent contractors who have been certified by a judge.

Both SROs, SPOs and armed security guards have to go through specific weapons training under Pennsylvania law.

How do schools deal with weapons on campus?

Under Pennsylvania law, weapons include any “knife, cutting instrument, cutting tool, nun-chuck stick, firearm, shotgun, rifle and any other tool, instrument or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily injury.” Once a weapon has been found on a Pennsylvania school’s grounds, superintendents must immediately report the incident to local law enforcement.

Not only is this state law but also board policy for school districts in Centre County, like Philipsburg-Osceola. Superintendents must also report all incidents relating to expulsions for weapons possession to the Department of Education, in the case that a student brings a weapon to campus.