State board hears bullying-prevention toolkit preview from School Mental Health Advisory Council

State Board of Education members heard a briefing April 9 from the School Mental Health Advisory Council on a draft bullying-prevention toolkit the council plans to present as a receive item in May and ask the board to approve in June. The council said the toolkit would help districts comply with Kansas law by providing model prevention, intervention and follow-up practices and by recommending a process families can use when they disagree with a school’s intervention decisions.

Why it matters: Kansas statute requires districts to adopt a bullying policy, a plan to implement it, and training for staff and students; the council told the board the law does not require compliance measures, dispute-resolution procedures, or standardized reporting, and that those gaps leave parents and districts uncertain about next steps when incidents occur.

The council’s presentation, led by Board Member Betty Arnold and presenter Kent Reid, summarized the statutory definition of bullying (intentional acts that are severe, persistent or pervasive and that interfere with a student’s educational environment) and noted a court decision (Fino v. Tonganoxie, referenced by the presenters) that changed the interpretation of “repetition” in the law. Reid said the council’s toolkit would be modeled on the earlier suicide-prevention toolkit, include district-level teams and sample processes, and emphasize prevention, intervention and a required follow-up summary to parents and progress monitoring after discipline.

Representatives of the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (K PIRC) described a family-focused brochure titled “What You Need to Know” that offers definitions and examples of verbal, physical, social and cyberbullying and steps families can take to work with schools. Council members and board discussion highlighted three recurring topics:

- Statutory scope and limits: presenters emphasized the law is “local control” and does not create a statewide compliance regime; it requires a policy, an implementation plan and training but does not prescribe enforcement steps. The council said it plans to recommend guidance districts can post on their websites that explains parents’ options, steps to take, and a contact pathway including local boards and law enforcement, when applicable.

- Parent engagement and dispute resolution: the toolkit will include guidance for parent engagement and recommend that districts establish and publish a dispute-resolution/grievance process to use if parents disagree with a school team’s intervention decisions.

- Anonymous reporting and hotlines: presenters and board members discussed anonymous reporting options used by some districts, the school violence hotline, KBI suspicious-activity reporting and the national 988 suicide-prevention line; the council said it will offer guidance to districts on whether and how to accept anonymous reports and how to publicize hotlines.

Board members asked about age thresholds and the distinction between bullying and criminal assault, reporting thresholds for assaults involving young children, and whether digital devices have increased bullying. Council members and district representatives responded that courts and policies differentiate assault from bullying when physical assault triggers law-enforcement or SRO involvement, and that cyberbullying became a greater factor once phones and social media were widespread. Presenters said the toolkit will recommend a plain-language “one-sheet” for districts to post that tells parents what to do immediately and who to contact if initial steps don’t resolve the issue.

What’s next: The council said it will present the toolkit as a receive item in May and bring a recommended policy package for board action in June.

Quotes in context: Board member Betty Arnold introduced the council and framed the item as a response to frequent parental contacts: “This is an area under KESA 2 that was identified as needing just that lift, that bullying toolkit lift.” Kent Reid, speaking for the council, said: “This slide kind of outlines the objectives of the toolkit. Alright. First of all, we'll address prevention, which would be training for staff and students... We will address intervention, a plan that will occur if bullying is reported. And then the follow-up, and this is very important, a follow-up summary for parents and progress monitoring to avoid future incidents.”

Ending: The board did not take action on the toolkit at the April meeting; presenters asked for board feedback and signaled they would return with the toolkit for a receive item in May and a vote in June.