FRANKFORT, Ky. — Last week, Kentucky’s newly-appointed school safety working group met to hear testimony from experts on ways to improve Kentucky schools.

The panel includes 92nd District state Rep. John Blanton, of Salyersville, who was appointed to the group due to his experience as a state trooper.

Blanton says he supports placing more trained security officers in school districts as a way to create an additional layer of security in schools. He says trained security officers would be a better approach than arming school teachers.

“While some have mentioned the idea of arming schoolteachers, I believe that it would be a better idea to allow our teachers to teach, and bring in trained security officers to protect our children,” Blanton said.

The idea of putting additional officers in schools was also overwhelmingly recommended by witnesses who testified before the working group.

Currently, Kentucky schools have an average of one officer for every four-and-a-half schools. Those testifying recommended having at least one officer for each school.