The Maryland State Board of Education unanimously passed an emergency rule change Tuesday that requires school systems to notify other systems around the state about criminal incidents involving students, even if those incidents occur outside of school properties and events.
“Today’s actions only address direct student transfers from one Maryland public school system to another,” said Carey Wright, the state superintendent in Maryland. “It does not address students with juvenile criminal records or allegations who come to Maryland schools from independent education programs, out of state placements, non-public schools or other placements.”
Under the new rule, which takes immediate effect, “one local school system superintendent shall immediately inform the school principal and the school security officer, where applicable, of a student who has been arrested for a reportable offense or an offense related to membership in a criminal organization,” Wright said.
Wright added that a superintendent or principal is also required to transfer necessary information confidentially even if a student has been “convicted, found delinquent or the charge or petition is still pending” to another school the student is enrolled at.
The emergency rule change applies to any student enrolled in a Maryland school right now.
It comes after school leaders in Howard County earlier this month found a high school student was charged with murder and had been on electronic monitoring after getting arrested for attempted murder in Anne Arundel County. That particular incident wasn’t directly referenced by the state board during the meeting on Tuesday morning.
“A reportable offense is an offense that does not occur on school premises. It is not a discipline matter. It did not occur at an event, a sporting event, or any other event sponsored by the school,” said assistant superintendent Mary Gable. “It includes such things as murder, arson, armed carjacking, sexual offenses. There are additional offenses, but these are serious offenses.”
There was only a brief discussion by other board members, with board president Joshua Michael warning his colleagues not to mention specific cases currently in the news. Gable said it’s up to local authorities to decide how to notify school leaders in another jurisdiction about a particular student.
“That would really be up to the state’s attorney or the law enforcement agency of how they contact,” said Gable. “It actually says they contact the superintendent, the principal or the security officer, if there is one.”
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