Education Department considers federal money for guns in schools

WASHINGTON – The Education Department said Thursday that it is weighing whether to allow states to use federal funds to purchase guns for schools, prompting a storm of criticism from Democratic lawmakers and educators.

If approved, the plan would likely generate a lot of controversy at a time when a string of especially deadly school shootings earlier this year led to the rise of a powerful student-led gun control movement.

A senior Trump administration official told the Associated Press that the agency is reviewing legislation governing federal academic enrichment grants to see if the money can be used to procure firearms.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly, said the bipartisan Every Student Success Act, passed in 2015, does not expressly prohibit or allow the use of Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants for the purchase of firearms.

The official said the agency received several letters asking it to clarify what those funds could be used for and began researching the issue.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who chairs a federal commission on school safety, has previously said schools should have the option to arm teachers.

The commission, formed in the aftermath of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people, has been criticized for omitting the topic of gun control.