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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
school safety program; proposals
Purpose
Expands the School Safety Program (Program) to support the costs of school safety officers (SSOs) and by establishing an alternative Program proposal process to support the costs of purchasing safety equipment and infrastructure improvements as specified. Requires a school district or charter school to train officers how to recognize and interact with children with disabilities. Exempts school blueprints and floor plans from public record requests.
Background
The Program supports, promotes and enhances safe and effective learning environments for all students by supporting the costs of placing school resource officers (SROs), juvenile probation officers (JPOs), school counselors and school social workers on school campuses. A school district or charter school may apply to participate in the Program for up to three fiscal years by submitting a Program proposal to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). A Program proposal for supporting the costs of placing SROs or JPOs, or both, on a school campus must include: 1) a detailed description of school safety needs; 2) a plan for implementing a law-related education program or a plan; 3) a plan to use trained SROs or JPOs, or both, in the school; and 4) information on the success, compliance and implementation of the most recent grant if the school district or charter school has already participated in the Program.
ADE must review and administer the Program proposals and, subject to review and approval by the State Board of Education (SBE), distribute monies to the school districts and charter schools that are in compliance with Program requirements. ADE uses relevant crime statistics to assess the needs of each Program proposal and must visit school districts and charter schools that submit Program proposals to verify the information contained in the proposal. ADE may prioritize Program proposals for SRO and JPO grants to schools that have agreements to share the cost of the SRO or JPO with a law enforcement agency or the courts.
SRO means a peace officer or a full-authority reserve peace officer who is certified by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (A.R.S. § 15-154).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
Program Proposals and School Safety Officers
1. Expands the Program to support the costs of:
a) placing SSOs on school campuses; and
b) purchasing safety technology, safety training and infrastructure improvements for school campuses as specified.
2. Applies, to SSOs, the Program proposal requirements for supporting the costs of SROs, JPOs or any combination of these officers.
3. Expands the Program proposal requirements for supporting the costs of SROs, JPOs, SSOs or any combination of these officers to include a plan to train the SROs, JPOs and SROs on the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, civil rights and adolescent mental health issues.
4. Applies the authorization for ADE to prioritize Program proposals for SRO and JPO grants to Program proposals for SSO grants.
5. Applies the dispute resolution process requirements for a school district or charter school that received an SRO grant to a school district or charter school that received an SSO grant.
6. Requires ADE to cooperate with the county school superintendent, county sheriff and local chief of police to allow a law enforcement agency to assign an individual who was previously employed as a peace officer and retired in good standing to participate in the Program.
7. Expands the definition of SRO to include an individual who was previously employed as a peace officer, retired in good standing and is assigned to participate in the Program by a law enforcement agency.
8. Defines SSO as an SRO who is working in an off-duty capacity.
Alternative Program Proposals
9. Authorizes a school district or charter school to submit an alternative Program proposal for supporting the costs of purchasing safety technology, safety training and infrastructure improvements for school campuses, if the school district or charter school:
a) receives the SBE's approval for a Program proposal for SROs, JPOs, SSOs or any combination of these officers; and
b) cannot place one or more of the officers included in the school's Program proposal.
10. Requires an alternative Program proposal submitted by a school district or charter school to include a detailed description of:
a) the school's safety needs;
b) the proposed expenditures and capital improvements; and
c) any other information requested by ADE.
11. Specifies that the detailed description of the proposed expenditures and capital improvements must include:
a) the safety needs that each proposed expenditure will address;
b) the specific technology or training program that the school district or charter school seeks to acquire; and
c) for infrastructure improvements, all costs associated with the improvements, including architectural and engineering fees, safety evaluations and equipment for securing entrances and exits.
12. Directs ADE to review and administer the alternative Program proposals.
13. Specifies that ADE must use relevant crime statistics to assess the needs of each alternative Program proposal and may visit the school districts and charter schools that submit alternative program proposals to verify the information contained in the Program proposals.
14. Authorizes ADE to approve all or part of an alternative Program proposal.
Officer Training for Children with Disabilities
15. Requires each school district or charter school that employs one or more officers on school campuses, including indirect employment through the Program, to train each officer how to recognize and effectively interact with children with disabilities.
16. Specifies that officer includes:
a) a peace officer;
b) a full-authority reserve peace officer who is certified by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board;
c) a peace officer or full-authority reserve peace officer who is employed by a school district or charter school in an off-duty capacity;
d) an individual who was previously employed as an Arizona peace officer and retired in good standing; and
e) a JPO.
Miscellaneous
17. Determines that school building blueprints and floor plans are not public record and exempt from public records requests.
18. Makes technical and conforming changes.
19. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
3rd Read 2/29/24 34-25-0-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 11, 2024
MH/LB/slp