Over 600 parents have signed a petition online and on paper to bring armed security guards into the Islip School District.

They’re bringing their concerns and petition to the Board of Education.

Parents are asking for armed, trained and qualified security guards on all school campuses.

Parents say no specific incident at the school district sparked them to start this petition.

But they say that with recent shootings and school shootings across the nation, they want an extra line of defense in the schools.

"If you go to banks, hospitals, sporting events, concert, venues, any government building, anywhere you go at all, mass transportation, there’s arm security everywhere protecting you. Why are we not doing the same for our children?" says parent Courtney Scarola.

"People are saying it's about militarizing the school. That's not what this is for," says parent Carolann Sutherland. "I'm hoping it becomes a deterrent, more than anything else, so that nothing is even approached the schools."

Islip Schools Superintendent Dennis O’Hara sent News 12 a statement saying safety and security are top priorities.

"We have robust security measures in place. We routinely review all procedures and protocols," says O'Hara. "We remain committed to hearing our passionate community members and continuously investigating any opportunity to enhance our procedures and strengthen our security measures," the statement read.

After listening to parent's concerns at the meeting, Board of Education members say the next step is to hold a community forum.

They also want to do a survey of staff and students to get their input.