By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

If you’re one who agrees that gun-free school zones actually put kids in greater peril, you might want to think about moving to Ohio. There are now at least 40 districts in the state that allow teachers who have concealed-carry permits to carry firearms while on the job.

In many instances, the boards of education that have approved this policy have done so at the insistence of parents who’ve not bought into the idea that their children will be safer at schools where the lawful carry of firearms by appropriately-licensed and trained authority figures is prohibited.

Teachers who are permitted to carry at school must complete something called the FASTER program, sponsored by the Buckeye Firearms Foundation, which provides comprehensive training in “armed response, crisis management, and emergency medical aid.”

The biggest threat to the safety of students and staff in a gun-free zone…beyond the obvious absence of any defensive firepower… is the amount of time a shooter has to engage his targets. By allowing staff ready access to guns on premises, the amount of time a hostile shooter has to do damage with impunity is greatly diminished.