"Everyone should have the opportunity to come to school and feel safe, including the student who owns an Airsoft gun," she said.

In the Salt Lake School District, two students have been suspended so far this school year for weapons violations.

As in the Jordan District, those students will be able to appeal their suspensions.

In both the Jordan and Salt Lake districts, suspension does not automatically mean the child does not go to school for a year. In most cases, the districts attempt to provide alternative schooling for those students, whether it is at another school, in a classroom by themselves or at the student's home.

The law is clear for students who bring a real gun to school, said Shannon Andersen, supervisor of Counselor and Student Services in the Salt Lake district. But the district is currently rewriting its penalties concerning gun facsimiles.

A student's potential suspension for bringing a toy gun to school will "depend on the type of facsimile and how it was used," she said.

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E-mail: preavy@desnews.com