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Board reviews model policy updates; new state rule makes board members mandatory reporters to police, first reading
Summary
As a first reading, administrators told the board that state law now requires school board members who have firsthand knowledge of child abuse to report directly to police dispatch rather than through school resource officers or Department of Child Safety; the district is also implementing a no-cell-phone policy for students and limiting wireless.
District administrators presented the first reading of model policy updates adopted after the recent legislative session, highlighting two items the board should note.
Dr. Farnsworth told trustees that state law now requires school board members who have firsthand knowledge of child abuse to act as mandatory reporters and to report allegations directly to police dispatch. He said the change means a board member who encounters firsthand knowledge — for example, if someone approaches them in public with information — would need to call the police dispatch number to obtain a report number and have an officer assigned to investigate. Farnsworth emphasized that this differs from prior practice that may have routed reports through school resource officers (SROs) or the Department of Child Safety (DCS).
Administrators also noted the district is implementing a student no-cell-phone policy and limiting students’ wireless access on campus; the IT department is carrying out those changes. A board member asked whether anything else in the policy required attention; administrators said no additional immediate action was needed. As this was presented as a first reading, no board action was taken.
Administrators told the board they will continue implementing the changes and that staff are available to assist board members if they need to make a report.
