The School Safety and Security Staff Program

Remember HB 1216 (2019) which created requirements around an optional School Resource Officer (SRO) program? Well, 1216 has been replaced! ESHB 1214 (2021) expands and modifies that earlier legislation and impacts the work of not just SROs, but all K–12 public school safety and security classified staff or contractors.

The new legislation specifically notes that schools should be a place in which all youth feel safe. With racial equity as a central component of safety and security planning, the bill emphasizes that all School Safety and Security Staff should not contribute to an unsafe environment for Black youth and youth of color.

There are several components of ESHB 1214 which impact school districts and schools:

ESHB 1214 establishes a new staff category of School Safety and Security Staff which includes both school district and non-district personnel. District staff include all classified personnel assigned to work on school or campus safety or security. Non-school district safety and security personnel include contracted services provided by School Resource Officers (SROs) and any private security service staff. The requirements of ESHB 1214 apply to districts and schools with any combination of internal district or contracted safety and security staff services.

ESHB 1214 established a mandatory safety and security staff training program. This statewide program is being jointly developed and implemented by the Educational Service Districts. The School Safety and Security Staff training program covers 13 required, identified topics areas. Safety and Security Staff have to verify completion of the required training within the first 6 months of their work in schools. New training requirements also include on-the-job training, and staff check-ins. These requirements do not have to be met within the first 6 month of work. In addition, waivers for some of the specific requirements may be possible thru the ESDs.

Before School Safety and Security Staff are assigned to work in school students are present, school districts and their contractors must either confirm that the safety and security staff have current training documentation or require the safety and security staff to complete the required training components. Initial training and documentation information is available here. More detailed information will be forthcoming.

ESHB 1214 requires districts with Safety and Security Staff personnel to adopt both board policy and procedures. The required policy and procedures must include information regarding Safety and Security Staff duties and responsibilities related to student behavior and discipline. The policy and procedures must also include a process for families to file complaints with the school, the local law enforcement agency, or the company which provides the safety and security staff, and a process for investigating and responding to such complaints. See WSSDA Model Policy 3411 and Procedures 3411P.

ESHB 1214 includes the requirement that school districts must have and annually review and adopt a memorandum of agreement with the law enforcement agency or security guard company with which it contracts for safety and security staff services. The agreement must include hiring and placement processes, confirmation of required training, and a review process which involves families, students and community members.

ESHB 1214 also includes an annual data collection requirement. Data will be collected on the total number of Safety and Security Staff in each school building, descriptions of incidents involving student discipline, use of force against a student, and student arrest by Safety and Security Staff. Districts must also collect data on complaints related to job duties or student interactions by Safety and Security Staff personnel. Additional data elements related to Safety and Security Staff may also be included. There are also requirements related to the submission of annually adopted MOAs. You will be hearing more about this data collection in the coming months.

For more information on The School Safety and Security Staff Program requirements, please visit the School Safety Center, School Safety and Security Staff Program.