SANDPOINT — A northern Idaho school district is no longer considering an idea to make guns available to teachers and other staff members as a security measure.

Lake Pend Oreille School Superintendent Shawn Woodward said Wednesday that district staff members overwhelmingly oppose the idea and the board of trustees is divided on the plan.

Woodward said he is still discussing safety issues with Bonner County officials and members of his staff with input from the school board, parents and residents. Ideas include a potential volunteer program and the commissioning of a school resource officer from the sheriff’s department.

School board chairman Steve Youngdahl triggered a community debate earlier this fall when he proposed placing guns in secure locations inside schools and training some teachers, administrators and other employees to use them in case of a school shooting. The guns would use a fingerprint locking system that would restrict their use to those authorized to handle them, he said. Youngdahl said he was concerned that five of the district’s 11 schools are in rural areas with law enforcement response time of up to 20 minutes.

About 300 people attended a public hearing on the idea Oct. 8. Slightly more than half of those attending were in favor of the idea, or at least considering it. However, Woodward said most of the comments he’s received have been against it. Some residents even decided to launch a recall effort against Youngdahl.

Brian Smith with the Lake Pend Oreille Education Association said a survey found just 8 percent of teachers and certified staff were in favor of armed staff, while 14 percent of other employees approved the idea. Woodward recommended against the plan and at least two board members have publicly expressed their opposition.