Joint Statement from State Superintendent, State Board President on the Emergency School Safety Regulation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Raven Hill, 410-767-0486
raven.hill@maryland.gov
Joint Statement from State Superintendent, State Board President on the Emergency School Safety Regulation
BALTIMORE (December 5, 2024) — Today, State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright and State Board of Education President Dr. Joshua Michael issued a joint statement on the decision of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review (AELR) to decline voting Wednesday on the emergency regulation related to reportable offenses.
The State Board took emergency action at its October 22 meeting to update the regulation governing the use of reportable offenses in schools. This change closed a communication gap relating to the transmission of reportable offense information in cases where students transfer between districts. Concurrently, Dr. Wright issued guidance stating that in the event that a student with reportable offenses has since transferred to another public school system or nonpublic school, superintendents or school principals are required to confidentially share all related records. The mandate applied to students enrolled since the start of the 2023-2024 academic year.
MSDE is currently receiving public comment on the proposed change, which remains in review under the standard regulatory review process. Until the regulation is amended or the legislature takes further action, the State Superintendent’s guidance will remain in effect. The General Assembly is expected to address the matter during the upcoming legislative session.
The joint statement is below:
“We look forward to partnering with Governor Moore, the General Assembly, the Department of Juvenile Services, and the Juvenile Services Education Program to improve communication and enhance student and school safety. Our foremost priority is keeping schools safe places to teach, learn, work, and volunteer. In order to ensure the safety for all members of the school community, we believe district leadership must have the necessary information to determine the most appropriate setting when an individual student presents a safety risk.”
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