A new state law holds school districts liable if the district fails to provent school violence that could reasonably have been foreseen and prevented. Ignacio School Board members considered the impacts at their June 11 meeting.
Senate Bill 213, also called the Claire Davis bill, was passed in response to the shooting death of Davis by a student who had previously threatened a staff member at a Denver-area high school. Davis was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"There's a lot of language in there of how we need to protect our students," Board President Toby Roderick said, speculating that it will increase district insurance costs. "The bill says the district has things we have to do to protect students, and I know we aren't doing all of them."
Board member Agnes Sanchez, a retired educator, said, "I had a student who was creating a hit list. My name was on it, as well as a couple students."
Board member Troy Webb, a school principal in Aztec, responded, "If the district knew of it and did nothing, they are liable."
Superintendent Rocco Fuschetto said, "Our liability insurance will probably go up 20 to 30 percent because of all this." He noted the district has put security cameras in its buildings. The new buildings are designed for better security, so visitors have to buzz in and have the door opened by staff in the front office.
Webb commented, "You shoot the door open."
Fuschetto said, "We took the right steps," but said he's not going to make those public.
"Part of the background of this is the legislature acknowledging things have changed," Roderick said.
Webb responded, "So how does an insurance policy increase safety?" Facing an imaginary school shooter, he waved a piece of paper and said, "Wait a minute. I have insurance. Stop shooting."
Fuschetto said, "The (Denver area) school board was aware that this student (who killed Davis) was dangerous." Davis's parents wanted information about the shooter, and the district wouldn't provide it, he said.
Roderick said, "Information has to flow freely about an incident. I'm frustrated that this will cause policy changes that push us back into zero tolerance... Everything is going to be reactive. This is the first step."
Society is getting more violent, Webb said. "School rules need to change too. We want kids who are in school to be assured of their safety."
The legislature needs to change the law on expulsions, he said. "In Colorado you have to continue to provide services even after you know the kid is violent. That's not fair to the teacher or any staff. I'm saying (expelled students) don't deserve services."
Fuschetto said the district pays the Pine River Community Learning Center $100 a day to provide services to expelled students.
Webb opined, "We should go the way of Indiana. If you are expelled, you're done. ... Expulsion should be real expulsion, not out-of-school suspension.
