Work session to focus on bill to get police out of schools
By Terry Murry on Monday, February 1st, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The Pendleton School District Board of Directors holds a work session tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8 a.m. One of the items on the agenda is a presentation on Senate Bill 238 by Superintendent Chris Fritsch.
That legislation, which is before the Senate Committee on Education, would forbid school boards and superintendents from approving any agreement that would allow law enforcement officers to schools. It also limits the situations in which a school can contact law enforcement agencies for disciplinary incidents. The only exception would be the fear of imminent serious physical injury to a school employee or a student.
Further, the measure which was put forward by the interim education committee before the 2021 session began, would require the money that is budgeted for law enforcement employment be channeled to community outreach and meeting students’ mental and behavioral health needs.
Also at the work session, the board will hear a report on the district’s four-year high school graduation rates. The meeting is streamed. For log-in instructions, email Ronda Thornburg at rthornburg@pendletonsd.org or call her at 541-276-6711.
