WCPSS: Board Policy - Reporting Information to the Principal and External Agencies (3033 R&P)

2333 R&P 3033 R&P 4033 R&P			REPORTING INFORMATION TO THE PRINCIPAL AND EXTERNAL AGENCIES	2333 R&P 3033 R&P 4033 R&P

A.	Duty of All School Employees to Report Acts of Violence to the Principal
	1.	All school employees, including, but not limited to, teachers, substitute teachers, student teachers, teacher assistants, and volunteers, must immediately report to the principal or his/her designee any act of violence in school, on school property, or at school-sponsored events. Acts that should be reported are all those known or believed to be violent. This includes, but is not limited to, acts reportable by the principal to law enforcement under board policy 2333.B/3033.B/4033.B.
	2.	The reporting requirement applies to all violent acts perpetrated by students, staff, or others, as long as the incident occurs on school property, as defined in board policy 2333.B/3033.B/4033.B, or at a school event.
	3.	Reports should be made in person or by telephone contact with the principal/designee, and should be followed by a written statement as may be required by the principal.
	4.	The report must be made without regard to age of the offender or victim. If it is the principal who is accused of engaging in the violent act, the report shall be made to the assistant superintendent for human resources.
B.	Principal’s Duty to Report Crimes on School Property
	1.	The principal shall make an immediate report to the appropriate law enforcement agency whenever the principal has personal knowledge or actual notice from school personnel that a criminal offense has occurred on school property. Per State Board of Education policy, all crimes occurring on school property must be reported to law enforcement. The principal shall designate persons who shall report to law enforcement in his/her absence.
	2.	The principal or the principal’s designee shall notify the superintendent in writing or by electronic mail regarding any report made to law enforcement involving assault resulting in serious personal injury, sexual assault, sexual offense, rape, kidnapping, indecent liberties with a minor, assault involving the use of a weapon, possession of a firearm in violation of the law, possession of a weapon in violation of the law, or possession of a controlled substance in violation of the law. This notification shall occur by the end of the workday in which the incident occurred when reasonably possible but not later than the end of the following workday. The superintendent shall provide the information to the Board of Education.
	3.	The principal or principal’s designee shall provide prompt notice to the parents or legal guardians of any student alleged to be a victim of any act required to be reported to law enforcement. The principal or principal’s designee will interact with the student victim and the student’s parents/legal guardian in such a manner reflecting a high level of sensitivity to the rights and needs of the student.
C.	Definition of Law Enforcement Agency Jurisdiction in Relation to Crimes on School Property
	1.	Local law enforcement is defined as the municipal police department if the school property on which the crime occurred is located in a town or city limits, or the Sheriff’s Department if the crime did not occur in a town or city limits.
	2.	If the act occurs on a school bus, the act should be reported to law enforcement of the city or county where the bus was physically located when the act occurred.
	3.	Principals shall collaborate with their local law enforcement agency leaders to determine the best procedure for making the report.
D.	Duty to Report Certain Acts to the Superintendent of Public Instruction
	1.	In addition to reporting the incident of violence to local law enforcement, the principal shall make a written record of the incident through the WCPSS discipline reporting system and in the manner prescribed by the Department of Public Instruction. A copy of the incident record will be immediately accessible to the WCPSS Senior Director of Security and the WCPSS Director of Student Due Process. Additional or changed information obtained after the incident record is completed must be entered and filed as a supplemental incident record.
	2.	The WCPSS Senior Director of Security and the WCPSS Director of Student Due Process will work with principals annually to complete the Report on School Crime and Violence as directed by the Department of Public Instruction.
E.	Duty to Report to Wake County Human Services
	1.	Any principal who has cause to suspect that a child is abused, neglected, dependent, or has died as a result of suspected maltreatment shall report the situation to Wake County Human Services.
	2.	Any employee who has cause to suspect that a child is abused, neglected, dependent, or has died as a result of suspected maltreatment shall report the situation to the principal or designee, who shall assist the employee in making a report to Wake County Human Services as provided in Policy 6731. In the absence of the principal or designee, the employee shall report the situation directly to Wake County Human Services. (Refer also to Policy 6731, Social Services and 6731.1, R&P.)
F.	Duty to Report to Department of Health
	1.	Principals shall report suspected cases of reportable communicable diseases or conditions to the Wake County Health Director for investigation. Without releasing information that would identify the employee, the principal shall also report suspected cases of reportable communicable diseases or conditions to the superintendent. Any employee who has reason to believe that a fellow employee has a reportable communicable disease and is not following safe practices shall report the situation to his/her principal or supervisor. Supervisory personnel shall report such unsafe conduct to the WCPSS Director of Health Services. In the absence of the principal or supervisor, the employee must report the situation to the WCPSS Director of Health Services. Confidentiality of such reports is protected by law, and school officials cannot be liable for making such reports. (Refer also to Policy 3031/4031, Communicable Diseases.)

Adopted: September 27, 1999

Revised: October 4, 2010

REPORTING INFORMATION TO THE PRINCIPAL

AND EXTERNAL AGENCIES

A.

Duty of All School Employees to Report Acts of Violence to the Principal

1.

2.

The reporting requirement applies to all violent acts perpetrated by students, staff, or others, as long as the incident occurs on school property, as defined in board policy 2333.B/3033.B/4033.B, or at a school event.

3.

Reports should be made in person or by telephone contact with the principal/designee, and should be followed by a written statement as may be required by the principal.

4.

The report must be made without regard to age of the offender or victim. If it is the principal who is accused of engaging in the violent act, the report shall be made to the assistant superintendent for human resources.

B.

Principal’s Duty to Report Crimes on School Property

1.

2.

3.

C.

Definition of Law Enforcement Agency Jurisdiction in Relation to Crimes on School Property

1.

Local law enforcement is defined as the municipal police department if the school property on which the crime occurred is located in a town or city limits, or the Sheriff’s Department if the crime did not occur in a town or city limits.

2.

If the act occurs on a school bus, the act should be reported to law enforcement of the city or county where the bus was physically located when the act occurred.

3.

Principals shall collaborate with their local law enforcement agency leaders to determine the best procedure for making the report.

D.

Duty to Report Certain Acts to the Superintendent of Public Instruction

1.

2.

The WCPSS Senior Director of Security and the WCPSS Director of Student Due Process will work with principals annually to complete the Report on School Crime and Violence as directed by the Department of Public Instruction.

E.

Duty to Report to Wake County Human Services

1.

Any principal who has cause to suspect that a child is abused, neglected, dependent, or has died as a result of suspected maltreatment shall report the situation to Wake County Human Services.

2.

F.

Duty to Report to Department of Health

1.