Educator Safety Task Force

The bill creates the educator safety task force (task force) within the office of school safety (office) in the department of public safety (department).

The task force consists of the director of the office, teachers, education support professionals, a school support professional, school administrators, a representative of an organization representing students and families from disproportionately impacted communities, a representative of a statewide organization that represents students with disabilities, a student representing a community disproportionately impacted by school discipline, an individual who works for a nonprofit that focuses on school safety, and a restorative justice professional. The task force members must be appointed by July 1, 2024.

The task force shall meet at least 4 times in 2024 and at least 3 times in 2025 and may hold meetings with remote participation.

On or before June 30, 2025, the bill requires the task force to review, investigate, and make recommendations to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, the governor, the state board, the commissioner of education, and the department concerning:

• Any issue relating to the safety and well-being of public school staff, including laws or regulations that affect the safety and well-being of public school staff;
• The effects of the declining number of special education professionals on student behaviors, as well as the impact of widespread staff shortages and the effects of class size and caseloads on disruptive learning environments;
• Incidents of aggressive student behaviors toward educators to inform solutions;
• The work and recommendations of existing education task forces;
• The impact of insufficient funding, lack of coordination of services between school and community, and the lack of wraparound services on disruptive learning environments; and
• The role resource inequality may play in staff safety issues.

The task force shall make recommendations for administrative and statutory changes that are necessary to facilitate school staff safety solutions.

The bill appropriates $146,250 for administrative services related to the office from the general fund to the department to implement the act.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)