SCHOOL SAFETY, LOCKER SEARCH

POLICIES ON WEBSITE

House Bill 5866 as introduced

First Analysis (6-7-00)

Sponsor: Rep. Paul Gieleghem

Committee: Education

THE APPARENT PROBLEM:

Public Act 102 of 1999 required the superintendent of public instruction, the attorney general, and the director of the Department of State Police to adopt and publish a statewide school safety information policy, and required school boards to work with local law enforcement agencies and county prosecutors to adapt, adopt, and implement the policy. The policy is to establish the types of incidents, including physical assaults, to be reported to law enforcement agencies by schools, and to identify procedures to be followed when such an incident occurs at school. Further, Public Act 87 of 2000 required the superintendent of public instruction to develop and make available a model policy on school locker searches, and requires local school boards to adopt a policy on that subject. It has been proposed that the Department of Education be required to post these model policies, and any other policies related to school safety, on its Internet website.

THE CONTENT OF THE BILL:

The bill would amend the Revised School Code to require the Department of Education to post the following on its Internet website:

• the statewide school information policy, required by Public Act 102 of 1999 (Note: the bill apparently is intended to refer to the "statewide school safety information policy";


• the model policy on searches of lockers and locker contents, required by Public Act 87 of 2000; and


• other state policies or model policies related to school safety as determined by the department to be appropriate and beneficial to be provided in this manner.



MCL 380.1304 BACKGROUND INFORMATION:




The Department of Education's website contains school safety information at www.med.state.mi.us/school/safety.shtml. Included at that website are a cover letter from the directors of the Departments of Education, State Police, and Attorney General, the text of Public Act 102 of 1999, a sample statewide school safety information policy, and a sample school safety information policy agreement. The site also refers to a school safety response guide, but says that the document is no longer available from the website, though the document has been provided to all local school districts, nonpublic schools, intermediate school districts, public school academies, and law enforcement agencies and county prosecutors. The website does not appear to contain any information regarding locker searches or the model state policy required by Public Act 87 of 2000. That act took effect May 1, 2000, and requires that a policy be developed and made available no later than 90 days after that date.




FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:




According to the Department of Education, the bill has very minimal cost implications for the department. (6-6-00)




ARGUMENTS:




For:

The bill would simply require the Department of Education to post model state policies on school safety and school locker searches on its website. The department's website already contains at least some of the required information. It makes sense to make such information widely available so that school personnel, law enforcement agencies, and community members can easily gain access to it.

POSITIONS:




The Department of Education supports the bill. (6-6-00)




The Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals supports the bill. (6-6-00)




The following indicated support of the bill to the House Education Committee (6-6-00):



• Oakland Schools


• The Michigan Federation of Teachers and School Related Personnel




Analyst: D. Martens




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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.