From: Tiffany Hall
This information will be shared with teachers October 22, 2025. Please reach out if you have questions before that happens.
BACKGROUND
In 2025, the Utah State Legislature passed H.B. 104 Firearm Safety in Schools Amendments. This requires schools to provide an instructional session on firearm safety to students.
This instruction must be offered to students at least three times during grades K-6, once in middle school, and once in high school. The instruction must be age appropriate and developmentally appropriate for the students in the class.
In SLCSD, we will provide this lesson in grades 1, 3, and 5 and in middle and high school health classes. The reason we have assigned this to specific elementary grade levels and classes is so that we can track that the required instruction was provided.
This instruction will not include handling a firearm or having a firearm (real or model) in the classroom. The instruction will focus on ensuring students understand appropriate safety around firearms. Materials selected for this instruction are politically neutral and are available for parents to review online.
If parents do not want their student to participate in this lesson, they can opt their student out by completing returning the opt out form. They do not have to opt IN: they only have to opt OUT.
If opted out, the student must be provided with an alternate assignment in an alternate location, and their grade cannot be affected. For elementary, the lesson will probably between 15-20 minutes long. For secondary, the time may depend on what other appropriate health standards you choose to include.
REQUIRED STEPS
- Review the materials and video for your level.
- Choose a date you will plan to teach the lesson.
- At least two weeks before you teach the lesson, send the Parent Information letter home. Include the date you are teaching and the date the opt out must be returned.
- Make a plan for an alternate assignment and location in case it’s needed.
- Collect all opt out forms. After the lesson, have your administrator store them for the school year.
- Teach the lesson.
RESOURCES
Located in the District Document Center > Teaching & Learning > Firearm Safety Resources
Elementary – National Crime Prevention Council (Officer McGruff)
- Grade 1: Molly’s Mischief
- Parent form (Translations to major languages are currently in process. They will be added to the file as they are completed. Please contact Ms. Lowery if an additional language is needed.)
- Video embedded on PPT
- Teacher guide
- Student activity sheet
- Safety poster
- Post-lesson recap for parents (currently only in English, TBD for other languages)
- Grades 3 and 5: Not Cool, Kyle
- Parent form (Translations to major languages are currently in process. They will be added to the file as they are completed. Please contact Ms. Lowery if an additional language is needed.)
- Video embedded on PPT
- Teacher guide
- Student activity sheet
- Safety poster
- Post-lesson recap for parents (currently only in English, TBD for other languages)
Secondary – Utah Attorney General’s Office
- Parent form (Translations to major languages are currently in process. They will be added to the file as they are completed. Please contact Ms. Lowery if an additional language is needed.)
- Video embedded on PPT
- Teacher Lesson Plan
- Student handout (two colors)
- Safety poster (two colors)
QUESTIONS
- Check with your administrator
- Teams or email Katie Lowery, Health and PE Specialist
- Teams or email Tiffany Hall, Teaching & Learning
NEXT STEPS
If you would like to suggest a different curriculum, please contact Ms. Lowery and Dr. Hall for district-level review.
