NC will allow private school staff with permits to carry guns on campus

RALEIGH, N.C. – By the end of the year, it will be legal for a person with a concealed permit to carry a gun on a private school campus in North Carolina. Governor Josh Stein vetoed the bill, but the Republican led legislature has the power to over ride him to push legislation to law.

Retired educator Thomas Townsend is relieved to hear private school staff with a concealed carry permit can now bring guns on campus.

“Schools are very, very vulnerable, like they are. They are too vulnerable. And we should not keep our kids in that kind of situation,” Townsend said.

The North Carolina legislature revised the firearm law allowing private schools the freedom to authorize permitted adults to bring a licensed gun on campus. Townsend says strapping up teachers means safer schools.

“Anywhere you’ve got trained armed people. It’s a deterrent to go against that. You’re going to pick a softer spot, softer target,” Townsend said.

An Education Week analysis found that there were 7 school shootings resulting in injuries or deaths so far this year, compared to 39 in 2024.

Becky Ceartas, executive director at North Carolinians Against Gun Violence says more people with guns won’t fix the problem.

“It’ll be a slippery slope to our public schools,” Ceartas said. “Whether it’s public or private, we do not feel that guns belong in schools.”

A concealed carry permit requires a minimum of eight hours of firearms training, Ceartas says that’s not enough.

“Law enforcement officials receive over 800 hours of training,” Ceartas said. “In this bill, it’s only eight hours of training per year. So this is simply unacceptable.”

This new law leaves the door open for schools to write their own policies about necessary training to carry firearms.

“There’s nothing to stop schools from asking and saying, hey, let’s, let’s have some extra training and I wouldn’t have problem with that,” Townsend said. “I would do it if I was still in the school and was carrying.”

This law goes into effect on December 1st.