SB 1255
Initials CH/ML Page 1 Education
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
Senate: ED DP 4-2-1-0 | 3rd Read 18-11-1-0
SB 1255: public schools; safety; reporting requirements
Sponsor: Senator Bolick, LD 2
Committee on Education
Overview
Requires each public school and local educational agency (LEA) to post on its website the
most recent information reported for the Civil Rights Data Collection Survey (CRDC). Directs
the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to annually publish a school safety report.
History
The United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) administers the
mandatory biennial CRDC to public LEAs and schools that receive federal financial
assistance. The CRDC collects information about student access to educational programs,
activities and staff and school climate factors, such as student discipline and harassment or
bullying incidents. The OCR uses the data to enforce civil rights statutes that prohibit
discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and disability (OCR and CRDC).
Both school district governing boards (governing boards) and charter school governing bodies
are required to prescribe policies for school personnel to report: 1) any suspected crime
against a person or property that is a serious offense, involves a deadly weapon, dangerous
instrument or serious physical injury; and 2) any conduct that poses a threat of death or
serious physical injury to a person on school property (A.R.S. § 15-153).
A governing board must enforce policies that prohibit students from harassing, intimidating
and bullying other students on school property, on school buses, at school bus stops, at school-
sponsored activities and through the use of school technology. These policies must include
requirements for the reporting, documenting and investigating of incidents of harassment,
intimidation and bullying, as well as disciplinary procedures for students (A.R.S. § 15-341).
Provisions
CRDC Posting
1. Instructs each public school and LEA to post a link on its website to the most recent
information it reported to the OCR for the CRDC. (Sec. 1)
2. Asserts a public school or LEA:
a) is not authorized to publish data protected under the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974; and
b) must redact the information posted on its website to ensure compliance. (Sec. 1)
School Safety Report
3. Requires ADE, by December 15 annually, to submit a school safety report to specified
individuals that contains the following information, as reported to the OCR for the CRDC:
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a) the number of school safety incidents;
b) the number of referrals to law enforcement; and
c) school climate data. (Sec. 2)
4. Mandates ADE collect information for the school safety report from publicly available
sources and the most recent information each public school reported to the OCR. (Sec. 2)
5. Requires ADE to post the report in a publicly accessible format on its website. (Sec. 2)