4310 District Relationships with Law Enforcement, and Other Government Agencies
The primary responsibility for maintaining proper order and conduct in the schools resides with district staff. Staff will be responsible for holding students accountable for infractions of school rules, which may include minor violations of the law occurring during school hours or at school activities.
However, there are times when district staff will call upon law enforcement, child protective agencies, and the county health department to ensure the safety and protection of students and staff. When there is substantial threat to the health and safety of students or others, such as in the case of bomb threats, threats of violence, or threats of substantial bodily harm, law enforcement will be called upon for assistance. Information regarding major violations of the law will be communicated to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
The district will strive to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with law enforcement, child protective authorities, and health department officials. The superintendent will confer with representatives of these agencies to establish agreed upon procedures. Such procedures should address the handling/reporting of child abuse and neglect allegations/investigations; communicable disease allegations/investigations; criminal allegations/investigations, including bomb threats/other threat assessments, and arrests by law enforcement officers on school premises; the availability of law enforcement personnel for crowd control; and other matters where the work and duties of the district overlap with these agencies. Such procedures include FPS Procedure 3432P: Emergencies and FPS Procedure 3226P: Interviews and Interrogations of Students on School Premises. The district will revise the procedures as necessary and make them available to affected staff members.
If the district engages with a school resource officer (SRO), the district will clarify its relationship with the SRO, including the SRO’s purpose, role, supervisory structure, and limitations on access to student information in a written memorandum of understanding (MOU).
In contrast to the working relationships noted above, the work of immigration agents does not overlap with the work or duties of the district. This is because the district’s obligation to educate the children residing within its boundaries is not diminished by the children or parents’ immigration status. Further, the district supports the federal immigration enforcement policy that directs immigration agents to avoid questioning and arrests at sensitive locations, including schools. Therefore, staff shall not grant information or access to immigration agents unless/until the district superintendent and/or general counsel determine the request complies with Plyler v. Doe and other applicable laws according to the criteria in FPS Procedure 3226P: Interviews and Interrogations of Students on School Premises.
Child Protective Services or agencies and law enforcement are defined as stated in RCW 26.44.020. County health department means a local entity defined in RCW 70.05.010. “Immigration agent” shall mean an agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, any individuals authorized to conduct enforcement of civil immigration laws under 8 U.S.C. §1357(g) or any other federal law, other federal agents charged with enforcement of civil immigration laws, and any successors.
Legal References:
RCW 26.44.030 Interviews of children
RCW 26.44.050 Abuse or neglect of child — Duty of law enforcement agency or department of social and health services — Taking child into custody without court order, when
RCW 26.44.110 Information about rights — Custody without court order — Written statement required — Contents
RCW 26.44.115 Child taken into custody under court order — Information to parents
RCW 28A.635.020 Willfully disobeying school administrative personnel or refusing to leave public property, violations, when — Penalty
20 U.S.C. 1232g Family Education Rights and Privacy Act