Tosa Schools Adopt Gun Safety Campaign After Parents' Letter

WAUWATOSA, WI — The Wauwatosa School Board voted unanimously on Monday to pass a resolution to create a gun safety campaign in the district after witnessing gun violence in schools across the country.

The district will host a presentation from Be SMART, an awareness campaign with a focus on adults protecting teens and children from having access to guns, for all staff and families in the 2022-23 school year, a board resolution said.

The district is the first in the Milwaukee metropolitan area to adopt the Be SMART program,parent and organizer Kelly Goldmann told Patch.

Be SMART volunteers started working with Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Dr. Demond Means to coordinate the presentation for the whole district, Goldmann added. Volunteers asked the district to share gun safety information through district emails and social media

Parents and program members also planned for information tables with brochures and gun lock giveaways at school events across the district, Goldmann said.

A group of district parents made the push for the program's adoption after the tragedy at Robb Elementary School, when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas in late May.

"As adults, it is our responsibility to keep guns out of the hands of children and teens," a letter from parents sent on May 31 said. "Educating adults on the importance of secure gun storage is one vital strategy to help keep our students, staff, and community safe."