Board reviews change to child‑abuse reporting policy requiring State Board notification for certain departures

A proposed update to board policy 42407312 (child abuse and related threats to child safety) was presented Monday that expands reporting obligations when licensed employees resign or are dismissed for misconduct. The change would require the district to notify the State Board of Education when a licensed staff member’s conduct could result in license action or involved child abuse or a felony, administrators said.

What staff said: Miss Savage explained the modification as required by recent state action. "The general assembly last year in 2023 adopted a little bit more, a law with requiring school administrators to report issues and certain issues and misconduct that are performed by members of licensed staff members. And so the state board actually took that a little step further, and kind of broadened the reporting requirements," she said.

Board questions: Members asked how many reports the district makes annually and whether the requirement means the district would prevent a dismissed employee from moving to another district. Administrators replied that aggregated statistics were not immediately available and that notification to the State Board helps the Department of Public Instruction adjudicate licensure, which can prevent a teacher with substantiated misconduct from moving unnoticed between districts.

Next steps: The policy change was presented for review and will return as a voting item after the prescribed posting period. Staff said they would confirm certain statutory language cited in the policy (including the age reference where federal guidance on CIPA differs from state law).