LIVE OAK, Fla. — The Suwannee County School Board voted unanimously to implement the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program at Tuesday night’s meeting.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act created the option of a guardian program to aid in the prevention or abatement of active assailant incidents on school premises. The program would arm school employees that are licensed to carry a concealed weapon as well as meet other qualifications. Teachers without other school duties are not permitted to be armed, according to the legislation that set up the program.

Superintendent Ted Roush said he has been working with school principals to create a list of potential candidates for the program.

Roush said he has a list of potential candidates that will be approached about joining the program.

Volunteers will undergo background checks, psychological evaluations and 150 hours of training.

“I am not taking this lightly,” Sheriff Sam St. John said. “I am going to do my due diligence to make sure we have quality applicants.”

St. John said the training will be tough and the volunteers that complete the training will be equal in training to a deputy sheriff.

He told WTXL-TV on Tuesday that he has been working with the school district for months, making plans and doing research to ensure this program is successful.

“Just like me hiring a deputy for road or patrol officer, I want the best that’s out there,” St. John told WTXL. “I want the best qualified personnel that’s here in school, already employed here.”

The resolution the school board passed states the district “intends to utilize all options available to meet the requirement of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act,” which includes the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program.

“We’re going to do whatever we can, whatever is allowed to us by law, to protect the students in our district,” Chairman Jerry Taylor said during the meeting.

The guardian program is expected to be operational for the 2018-2019 school year.

“I am personally of the belief that the more security you have, the better,” Roush said.