State board OK’s rules redefining role of police in SC schools

The S.C. Board of Education gave an initial nod to new rules aimed at ensuring police officers working in schools only get involved in disciplinary matters when student behavior reaches criminal levels.

“Our No. 1 priority is school safety and making sure that the environment there is conducive to learning and every child feels safe,” state Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said Tuesday, before the Education Board unanimously agreed to give initial approval to the proposed rules.

The changes, which must clear several additional hurdles before taking effect, come almost a year after a Richland County Sheriff’s deputy forcibly removed a Spring Valley High School student from her desk and tossed her across the floor.

Caught on video and posted online, the October incident exploded nationally, sparking a debate about the role of law enforcement in schools.

The Education Board’s proposed regulations are part of recommendations by a safe schools task force Spearman formed after the Spring Valley incident.

A new regulation would define school resource officers and the role they play in the classroom.

The Education Board also wants to update an existing regulation outlining levels of student misconduct and appropriate disciplinary actions.

The change would direct school administrators to get school resource officers involved only when student misconduct rises to criminal levels.

The Education Board will take more written feedback and hold a public hearing on the regulations before taking them up again in October. With the board’s final approval, the regulations will go to the S.C. General Assembly for approval in January when lawmakers return to Columbia for the new legislative session.

Check back for details.

This story was originally published August 9, 2016 at 3:59 PM with the headline "State board OK’s rules redefining role of police in SC schools."