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Ranking member urges parental notification after bullying anecdote at education budget meeting
Summary
Sen. Jim Tedisco recounted a bullying‑related death and urged that parents be notified when bullying occurs, pressing the conference committee to consider parental‑notification protections while affirming support for increased school funding; no formal proposal or vote resulted from the remarks.
Sen. Jim Tedisco, the Senate Education Committee’s ranking member, used the March 18 Education Budget Conference Committee meeting to press for parental notification when bullying occurs in schools, saying parents too often learn nothing about incidents that affect their children.
Tedisco recounted a fatal case he said involved a 14‑year‑old named Jacobs Travis, and said the tragedy underlined why parents should be informed when bullying takes place. "It's a boy named, Jacobs, who, 14 years old, went home one day, wrote a note...and he took his life," he said while urging the committee to include parental‑notification considerations in budget or policy work.
He framed the point within broader support for education funding, saying members endorse increased aid but must protect the safety and well‑being of students and ensure families are informed. Tedisco referenced the Dignity for All Students Act’s reporting requirements and said existing reporting to the State Education Department does not guarantee parent notification.
No committee member offered a formal counterproposal or a vote on parental‑notification language during the session. Other members acknowledged his comments but left detailed policy work to subsequent meetings and the conference negotiation process. The committee adjourned with plans to reconvene at the call of the general conference committee.
