A USBE presenter discussed a proposed four-level taxonomy to classify incident severity for an upcoming public-facing parent portal of school incident reports. The taxonomy is intended to standardize how incidents are presented to parents and to align classifications with Utah criminal code categories and charge classes.

The proposal groups conduct into four levels: Level 1 (most serious) — e.g., homicide, robbery, weapons and severe harassment; Level 2 — serious harassment, larceny, controlled substance distribution, threats; Level 3 — moderate incidents such as alcohol, bullying, fighting, disruption and abusive conduct; Level 4 — minor incidents such as truancy, attendance violations and defiance. The presenter said the list of codes and groupings will be provided in a downloadable PDF and that the department will field feedback through a short survey that will remain open for two weeks.

The presenter said the taxonomy would not change LEA data-submission requirements; instead it is intended to guide principals and building administrators responsible for incident recording and to support a consistent public display. A QR code and URL were provided for immediate input; the presenter asked LEAs to share the survey and to provide feedback to refine the classification.

USBE staff said additional materials and the full code list will be posted with the slides and that the department will use feedback to revise the proposal before implementing it in the parent portal.