Safety Law News for August 28, 2018 – School Safety Law Blog

In Michigan, Midland City Council supported the special millage proposal for school safety that will appear on the Nov. 6 election ballot which would levy up to 0.4 mills — 40 cents per $1,000 of taxable value — raising $1.3 million. The tax will support funding for a total of seven school resource officers that will be assigned to city and county schools.

In Indiana, school officials in Portage Township are in conflict over school district policy and protocols regarding school resource officers. The first conflict: school board policy that states that the board and its superintendent will have total authority over the operations of the SROs within the schools. The second conflict: the school board has decided to limit SRO access to student information. This second school board policy is itself in conflict with United States Department of Education directives that student information maintained by the school’s law enforcement unit are not considered education records under FERPA.

In Pennsylvania, the Woodland Hills School board voted unanimously to renew its SRO program despite vocal disagreement from protesters who believe police are abusing their children. The Woodland Hills Superintendent stated. “I believe in school resource officers.” The school board is also planning to amend discipline policy to emphasize new roles for the SROs and zero tolerance for students who attack an educator or fellow student.

In Delaware, officials in Dover are assigning police officers, called school security monitors, to all of the schools in the Capital School District. The school superintendent said, “Safety is really our primary concern. It’s not our primary job, but it’s our primary responsibility.” The whole program will cost $408,423 for the first year.