Two-way reports encouraged
Issue: With the number of criminal incidents in schools escalating, better reporting is essential, said Rep. Paul Shepherd, D-West Valley City. He presented two bills, one of which would require the State Office of Education to include a summary of such incidents in its annual report and the other requiring juvenile courts to notify schools when they are dealing with youngsters who have violent tendencies.The annual education report will provide information on the number of activities involving drug and alcohol abuse, weapons, assaults and arson. The courts would be required to notify a district superintendent of instances in which a child had been accused of a criminal act. The superintendent would be required to notify the principal of the school, who would share the information with necessary staff members. The information would be stored in a secure file.
Action: The committtee passed HB204 and HB230 out with favorable recommendations.
Pros and cons: Although there are some concerns that such information could label a student and work against his education, members of the Senate Education Committee agreed that safety issues are paramount. Shepherd said accumulating information is the first step to addressing issues.