School Discipline

The bill requires the state board of education to promulgate rules to standardize the reporting method for school districts and charter schools to report disproportionate discipline data to the department of education (department) and the federal department of education's biennial survey.

The bill requires each school district and institute charter school to disaggregate reports of conduct and discipline violations by race, ethnicity, gender, status as a student with a disability, and socioeconomic status to the maximum extent possible in compliance with the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974", 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g. The bill also requires each school district and institute charter school to report the specific action taken in response to each discipline violation.

The bill prohibits law enforcement officers from arresting students, or issuing a summons, ticket, or notice requiring the appearance of a student in court or at a police station for certain offenses and conduct. The bill also prohibits a school resource officer or law enforcement officer acting in their official capacity from handcuffing an elementary school student.

The bill requires school districts and institute charter schools to adopt policies for selecting school resource officers if the school district or institute charter school elects to contract for one or more school resource officers. The bill requires each school district or institute charter school and the employing law enforcement agency to jointly create an evaluation process for school resource officers. Each school district or institute charter school and employing law enforcement agency shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to address issues such as strategies, procedures, and practices that minimize student exposure to the criminal and juvenile justice system; prioritization of strategies for enhancing student learning, safety, and well-being; and creation of a sustainable and successful balance between education and protecting students, teachers, and the school.

The bill requires each school district board of education and each institute charter school to adopt a policy to report and address disproportionate disciplinary practices in public schools. Each school district and institute charter school shall develop, implement, and annually review improvement plans to address disproportionate discipline practices by race, ethnicity, gender, status as a student with a disability, and socioeconomic status based on the policy and disciplinary data reported to the department under the safe school reporting requirements. In implementing an improvement plan to address disproportionate discipline practices, each school district and institute charter school shall provide to the parents of the students enrolled in the school written notice of the improvement plan and issues identified by the department as giving rise to the need for the plan. The written notice must include the timeline for developing and adopting the improvement plan and the dates, times, and locations of the public meeting and a public hearing.

The bill requires school districts and institute charter schools to address chronic absenteeism and disproportionate disciplinary practices in order to provide support to students who are identified as at risk of chronic absenteeism and disciplinary actions, including classroom removal, suspension, and expulsion. The bill amends the expelled and at-risk student services grant program to focus on services for students identified as at risk of dropping out of school due to chronic absenteeism and disciplinary actions.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)