 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
public schools; safety; reporting requirements
Purpose
Requires each public school and local education agency (LEA) to submit to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) the most recent information reported for the Civil Rights Data Collection survey (CRDC). Requires ADE, by December 15, to annually submit to outlined individuals and post on its website a school safety report that contains specified information reported for the CDRC.
Background
A school district governing board (governing board) and charter school governing body must prescribe and enforce policies and procedures for school personnel to report any: 1) suspected crime against a person or property that is a serious offense or involves a deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or serious physical injury; and 2) conduct that poses a threat of death or serious physical injury to an employee, student or other person on the school property. The policies must include a process for employees to document and report the conduct, including specifying the employees responsible for making a report to a local law enforcement agency (A.R.S. § 15-153).
A governing board must prescribe and enforce policies and procedures to prohibit pupils from harassing, intimidating and bullying other pupils, including: 1) a procedure for pupils, parents and school district employees to confidentially report incidents of harassment, intimidation or bullying to school officials; 2) a requirement that school district employees report in writing suspected incidents of harassment, intimidation or bullying to the appropriate school official; and 3) a formal process for documenting reported incidents and providing for the confidentiality, maintenance and disposition of the documentation (A.R.S. § 15-341).
The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) utilizes the CRDC for administering and enforcing civil rights laws. The CRDC gathers data, including student enrollment and student access to educational programs and services, most of which is disaggregated by race or ethnicity, sex, English learner status and disability (U.S. Department of Education).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires each public school and LEA to:
a) submit to ADE the most recent information that the public school or LEA reported to the U.S. Department of Education OCR for the purposes of the CRDC; and
b) include a statement in the school report card that indicates whether the public school or LEA complies with the requirement.
2. Requires ADE, by December 15, to annually submit a school safety report to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and provide a copy to the Secretary of State that includes, as reported for the CRDC:
a) the number of school safety incidents;
b) the number of referrals to law enforcement; and
c) data regarding the school climate.
3. Directs ADE to collect the school safety report information from publicly available sources and the most recent information that each public school reported to the U.S. Department of Education OCR for the CRDC.
4. Requires ADE to post the school safety report on ADE’s website in a format that is accessible to the public.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 26, 2026
MH/SM/ci