A TEXAS school district will allow its 50 teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms when classes begin this month to protect against school shootings.

The small community of Harrold in north Texas is a 30-minute drive from the Wilbarger County sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without protection, said David Thweatt, superintendent of the Harrold Independent School District.

"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started," he said. "Why would you put it out there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like saying, 'sic 'em' to a dog."