Columbia Public School Board expected to vote on bullying policy change Monday

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Public School Board is set to discuss and vote on changing who reports and intervenes in bullying incidents during the year. The policy has been under consideration since April.

According to the board's agenda for Monday, the new policy would allow school employees, substitutes, and educational contractors who work with students to intervene and provide support to students who are being bullied.

Previously, school employees and staff were only allowed to submit a report of bullying to the principal or a designee within two days of the bullying incident, and the bullied student would be offered support during the investigation.

The school district has limited jurisdiction when it comes to off-campus bullying, according to the document. The document clarifies that the school can intervene when cyberbullying starts on campus, at a school event or uses district technology.

The document also lists a couple of ways that the school district can take action, including contacting parents, explaining what behaviors are allowed on campus, letting relevant staff know about the incident and alerting law enforcement or social media companies about inappropriate behavior.

The school district will continue to accept online bullying reports throughout the year, but the investigation might take longer during breaks, according to the document. Investigations will continue to be completed within ten days of receiving a report.

Monday's meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Aslin Administration Building.