REVISE SCHOOL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

FOR INCIDENTS OF CRIME AND BULLYING

House Bill 5661 as introduced

Sponsor:  Rep. Amanda Price

Committee:  Education

Complete to 5-18-16

SUMMARY:

House Bill 5661 would amend the Revised School Code to require schools to compile and post school crime statistics and bullying incidents electronically, rather than by written report, and provide that the requirement that the information be available to parents or guardians of students is met if the information is posted on the school's website.

Currently, each school board must report crime statistics in the district to the superintendent of public instruction at least annually.  House Bill 5661 would revise that requirement so that the information must be posted on the school district's website, and must include the incidents of crime for at least the most recent five-year period.  

Now, each school building must also collect and keep current on a weekly basis the crime information for the school, and must provide that information within seven days, upon request.  Each building must also make that information available to the parent or guardian of each student in the school district.  Under House Bill 5661, that requirement would be met by instead disaggregating by school building the crime statistics posted on the school district's website.  This posting would also include information for at least the most recent five-year period. 

The updates to reporting bullying incidents would be similar to those for crime statistics.  Currently, school districts and public school academies (charter schools) must report incidents of bullying to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) on an annual basis and make the information readily available to the public.  Instead, House Bill 5661 would require school districts and charter schools to collect that information and the respective school board or board of directors must make the information available by posting it on the district or charter school's website. As with the other reporting requirements, the information must be disaggregated by school building and include information for at least the most recent five-year period. 

BACKGROUND:

           

This bill reflects recommendations from the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI), the entity responsible for collecting, securely managing, and reporting education data in Michigan.  Now, CEPI collects 38 data elements from public schools, as part of the School Infrastructure Database (SID).  These recommendations are intended to reduce state reporting burdens on school districts.  

This bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.

MCL 380.1310a and 380.1310b

FISCAL IMPACT:

House Bill 5661 would have no fiscal impact on the state or local units of government.  Under the bill, districts would have to collect the same crime and bullying data as is currently required, but would have to provide the information on the district website rather than reporting the information to the Department of Education and the Center for Educational Performance and Information in the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget. 

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   Jennifer McInerney

                                                                                                Fiscal Analyst:   Bethany Wicksall

                                                                                                                           Samuel Christensen

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.