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Board reviews model policy update: state now directs school board members to report suspected abuse directly to police
Summary
At a first reading, district leadership alerted the board that state law now requires school board members to act as mandatory reporters to police when they receive firsthand knowledge of abuse, rather than reporting to an SRO or DCS.
During the Sept. 11 meeting the Show Low Unified School District board heard a first reading of a model policy update that, district leaders said, reflects recent changes in state law about mandatory reporting.
Doctor Farnsworth, speaking as the presenter of the policy first reading, told the board that the legislative session produced changes making school board members mandatory reporters when they come into contact with firsthand knowledge of child abuse. "The law specifically states that school board members are now expected if you come in contact with firsthand knowledge that you are required to be a mandatory reporter to the police," Doctor Farnsworth said.
Farnsworth clarified the reporting channel the district will emphasize: board members should call the dispatch number to make a police report if they receive firsthand knowledge. He stated that the requirement is no longer to report only to the school resource officer (SRO) or the Department of Child Safety (DCS). "If that ever happens to you and someone comes up to you in the grocery store and says, 'I don't know if you know this, but so-and-so,' then you may have a responsibility to report," Farnsworth said.
The board did not vote on the policy at the meeting; members received the update as a first reading and were invited to provide feedback before a later action. Farnsworth also noted the district is implementing other model-policy items now, including limits on student cell phone use and tighter wireless access controls on campus via the district’s IT department.
Why it matters: The change clarifies legal obligations of elected board members and shifts the immediate reporting pathway to police dispatch, which may change how board members respond to off-site disclosures of suspected abuse.
Next steps: The policy remains at first reading; staff will return with a recommended final policy for board action in a future meeting after any requested revisions and further discussion.
