The State Board of Education at its Nov. 1 meeting adopted updated regulations on harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB), which would affect local school district policies.
These regulations would be effective July 1, 2018, and require districts to update their policies. The updates include the following:
- A district board of education policy may include an optional process prior to initiating an investigation by which the principal, or his or her designee, in consultation with the anti-bullying specialist, makes a preliminary determination as to whether a reported incident or complaint, assuming all facts presented are true, is a report within the scope of the HIB law.
- The policy must include a process by which the district board of education will investigate a complaint or report of harassment, intimidation, or bullying, occurring on district board of education school buses, at district board of education school-sponsored functions, and off school grounds involving a student who attends an approved Private School for Students with Disabilities (PSSD). The investigation conducted by the district board of education’s anti-bullying specialist shall be in consultation with the approved PSSD.
- Each approved private school for students with disabilities (PSSD) shall develop, adopt, and implement a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying on school grounds. The policy shall include a provision for notifying the appropriate sending district board(s) of education personnel of the students involved when the approved PSSD receives a complaint or report of an act of HIB occurring on a sending district board of education school bus, at a sending district board of education school-sponsored function, and off school grounds. When a complaint or report of HIB involves students from more than one school district, the sending district board(s) of education of the victim(s) involved shall initiate the investigation.
- Parents or guardians of students who attend a PSSD and are parties to an HIB investigation may request a hearing before the sending district board of education concerning the information received about an investigation.
- Investigations of HIB complaints where adults are the perpetrators shall not be investigated by a member of the same bargaining unit as the individual who is the subject of the investigation.
- Any request by the parents or guardians for a hearing before the district board of education concerning the written information about an HIB investigation, shall be filed with the district board of education secretary no later than 60 calendar days after the written information is received by the parents or guardians.
To read all of the proposed changes to district HIB policies that will be required by these regulations, go here.