Post by Watchman on Mar 16, 2007 11:44:17 GMT -5
House OKs school authority
Bill would let districts create police forces.
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - School districts would be allowed to create their own police departments and give teachers new legal protections under a bill given first-round approval yesterday in the House.
Lawmakers, by voice vote, approved the wide-ranging measure that expands the ability of school districts to establish school dress codes, dispense medication to students and use force to protect people and property.
Sponsoring Rep. Maynard Wallace said most of the bill’s provisions codify what school districts already are doing.
One of the provisions would allow school districts to create certified police officers to enforce laws broken on school property, at school activities and on school buses.
Rep. Gary Dusenberg, R-Blue Springs, who has filed separate bills to give school districts that right in the past, said some schools need their own police because the district crosses into multiple law enforcement jurisdictions, creating a confusing situation for police.
Although the district’s law enforcement force would have full police powers, sexual offenses, felonies and crimes that involve violence or threats would need to be handled by local law enforcement.
Rep. John Burnett said the measure means school district personnel could ride school buses and patrol hallways with a gun.
"If we need security officers, we should get security officers. If we need police officers, we should get real police," said Burnett, D-Kansas City.
Supporters said trained, licensed police officers can be important for ensuring safety for students and teachers.
The measure also adds several legal protections for teachers. It would prevent lawsuits against teachers who discipline students by using their school district’s approved procedures and also against qualified teachers and staff who distribute medication or medical treatments, including CPR.
Lawmakers temporarily adopted an amendment that would have left school districts largely powerless to stop teachers from presenting their own opinions on issues in their classrooms. Adopted with minimal debate, it was later stripped after legislators realized that it could open the door to a variety of controversial subjects, ranging from contraception to intelligent design theories about the origin of life.
Several states have faced legal challenges and political controversy about whether to allow classroom discussion of intelligent design theory.
Rep. Brian Baker denied he was trying to use his amendment to open the door to teaching intelligent design or creationism in public schools and asked that it be removed from the bill. The amendment was removed by a 142-8 vote.
"The honest intent was to give the teachers some freedom to say these are some varying viewpoints that you can look at without being penalized for that," he said.
House Minority Leader Jeff Harris, D-Columbia, warned the amendment would have involved the state in "the discussion of what can and cannot be taught in our classes - specifically, encompassing the teaching of intelligent design."
The bill also allows school districts throughout the state to require school uniforms. Current law only gives the St. Louis School District explicit authority to require school uniforms.
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