HB2119- school safety; reporting (Barto)

This bill requires each school district and charter school to prescribe and enforce policies and procedures for:

1.       Reporting to the sheriff or local law enforcement any of the following:

a.       Suspected crime that is a serious offense or involves a deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or serious physical injury; and

b.       Conduct that poses a threat of death or serious physical injury to an employee, student of other person on school property; and

c.       Notifying the parent or guardian of each student involved.

Requires school districts and charter schools dictate a process for documenting and reporting any conduct posing a threat of death or physical injury, including specifying employees who are responsible for making a report to law enforcement- and must post on its website by January 1, 2020 its adopted policies and procedures.

Specifies that conduct that is considered bullying, harrassment or intimidation must be addressed according to school district and charter governing body policies.  

Allows a person who fails to report a suspected crime or threatening conduct to be disciplined in the same manner as a person who violates the policies of a school district, including being subject to dismissal.

Requires each school district to:

2.       Maintain a record of any person that is disciplined; and

3.       Make that record available to any public school, district that intends to hire that person.

Allows records indicating that a current or former employee was disciplined for violating policies of a school district to be retained and provided to any school district performing a background investigation.  

Requires ADE to develop a verification process to determine whether each school district and charter school has adopted the required policies by July 1, 2020.

Deems a school district or charter school, beginning January 21, 2020, ineligible to apply for school safety program grants if a school district or charter school has not adopted the required policies and procedures.

Allows school districts or charter schools to post a link to an online policies and procedures manual.