HARROLD, Texas -- Later this month when classes start, a tiny Texas school district may be the first in the nation to allow its teachers and staff to carry guns for protection.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed firearms to deter and protect against school shootings.

But the gun-toting teachers must follow certain requirements.

-- They must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun;
-- Must be authorized to carry by the district;
-- Must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and have to use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.

Superintendent David Thweatt said the small community is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without protection.

Texas law outlaws firearms on school campuses "unless pursuant to the written regulations or written authorization of the institution."

The 110-student district is 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth on the eastern end of Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border.