Fostering the health and safety of students is critical to creating a strong educational environment where all students have the opportunity to learn. For this reason, the district has established a school safety assessment team to help assess, coordinate resources, and where appropriate, intervene for students who are experiencing or are at risk for an emotional disturbance or mental illness, or whose behavior may pose a threat to the safety of a student or students, employees, or the district community.
The school safety assessment team will be multidisciplinary and comprised of a combination of the following roles: a local law enforcement official, a mental health professional, a social services representative, and a school official. The school safety assessment team is authorized to share and request records from covered entities if the records are reasonably necessary to ensure the health and/or safety of students or others, and if the records are not sealed by a court order. Covered entities include criminal or juvenile justice agencies, cities, counties, or townships, state agencies, and service or support providers that contract with these entities. In addition to sharing information, the school safety assessment team may collaborate and coordinate efforts with other covered entities to best serve these students.
The district will also share with school safety assessment teams from other schools any information that is reasonably necessary to ensure the safety of students or others.
Note: Districts are not required to create school safety assessment teams. This policy should be used if the district chooses to create one. The last line of a policy is a legal requirement for districts regardless of whether they create a school safety assessment team.
Legal References:
20 U.S.C. § 1232g, 1415.
34 C.F.R. Pt. 99, 300, .610 et seq.
Iowa Code 29D.1; 280.36
Cross Reference:
506.01 Education Records Access
Adopted: 07/14/2025 Reviewed: ____________ Revised: ___________