Westport's Board of Education is mulling adding an armed school resource officer to protect its schools and children.

Superintendent Colleen Palmer introduced the idea at the end of October with support from local police, but after the latest deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the idea carries new urgency.

Neighboring districts have already implemented school resource officers. Norwalk and Fairfield did so in 2012. Weston followed in 2015.

The board opened its meeting Monday night with the subject of a resource officer as the first item on its agenda.

Parents like Merri Mueller say they support the idea.

"I know that the issues are so big, whether its mental health, whether its guns laws, I get all that, that stuff is big, and it needs to be dealt with," Mueller says. "But that's going to take time. This doesn't need to take time. We can have our schools be as safe as possible tomorrow." 

"Many, many people are getting killed around the country," says her son, Jaden Mueller.