The Dysart Unified School District's legal counsel on Thursday told governing board members that, effective Sept. 26, the legislature extended mandatory reporting obligations to include governing board members and provided guidance on reporting procedures.

Jennifer McLennan, the district attorney, led the training. She told the board that if a member has a reasonable belief that a minor has been abused or neglected, the member must report to local law enforcement or the Department of Child Safety and, when the allegation involves a school employee, to the state board's investigative unit. "As of September 26, the legislature has mandated that governing board members are also mandatory reporters under the law," McLennan said.

McLennan emphasized practical steps for board members who receive reports: report immediately to dispatch or local law enforcement rather than relying on a school resource officer (SRO) to satisfy that duty. She explained the Multidisciplinary Protocol used in Maricopa County and advised board members to take minimal information—what happened, who, where and when—and then stop to allow authorities to investigate. She said the district's Human Resources and administrative staff will assist board members in making required reports and that there is statutory immunity for those who report in good faith; failure to report can be a misdemeanor or a felony for certain crimes.

The attorney also provided a refresher on Arizona's open meeting law, including threshold rules (a quorum is three members for Dysart) and prohibitions on serial communications and "hub-and-spoke" exchanges that effectively create a meeting outside public notice. She reviewed posting requirements, executive-session procedures, permitted executive-session purposes, and the consequences of violating the law—including corrective remedies, possible financial penalties for repeated violations, and Attorney General enforcement.

Board members asked procedural questions about whether reporting to district administrators satisfies the duty (McLennan said administrators can assist and that reporting through HR with confirmation is sufficient for the state-reporting obligation in many cases) and how to proceed when a report is anonymous. McLennan gave an example from another district and reiterated that administration often carries the report forward but that the obligation is personal to the board member who received the information.

The training closed with guidance on how board members should police open meeting compliance during meetings ("point of order" can be used to stop off-agenda discussion) and with a reminder that the district will provide additional resources and webinar-based training for administrators.

No formal action was taken; the session was informational.