2015 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 70. Schools
§70-24-100.5. Safe School Committees – Model policy.

A. Every year each public school site shall establish a Safe School Committee to be composed of at least seven (7) members. The Safe School Committee shall be composed of teachers, parents of enrolled students, students, and a school official who participates in the investigation of reports of bullying as required by subsection A of Section 24-100.4 of this title. The Committee may include administrators, school staff, school volunteers, community representatives, and local law enforcement agencies. The Committee shall assist the school board in promoting a positive school climate through planning, implementing and evaluating effective prevention, readiness and response strategies, including the policy required by Section 24-100.4 of this title.

B. The Safe School Committee shall study and make recommendations to the principal regarding:

1. Unsafe conditions, possible strategies for students, faculty and staff to avoid physical and emotional harm at school, student victimization, crime prevention, school violence, and other issues which prohibit the maintenance of a safe school;

2. Student bullying as defined in Section 24-100.3 of this title;

3. Professional development needs of faculty and staff to recognize and implement methods to decrease student bullying; and

4. Methods to encourage the involvement of the community and students, the development of individual relationships between students and school staff, and use of problem-solving teams and resources that include counselors and other behavioral health and suicide prevention resources within or outside the school system.

In its considerations, the Safe School Committee shall review the district policy for the prevention of bullying and the list of research-based programs appropriate for the prevention of bullying of students at school compiled by the State Department of Education. In addition, the Committee may review traditional and accepted bullying prevention programs utilized by other states, state agencies, or school districts.

C. The Safe School Committee may study and make recommendations to the school district board of education regarding the development of a rape or sexual assault response program that may be implemented at the school site.

D. The State Department of Education shall:

1. Develop a model policy and deliver training materials to all school districts on the components that should be included in a school district policy for the prevention of bullying; and

2. Compile and distribute to each public school site, prominently display on the State Department of Education website and annually publicize in print media a list of research-based programs appropriate for the prevention of bullying of students. If a school district implements a commercial bullying prevention program, it shall use a program listed by the State Department of Education.

E. The provisions of this section shall not apply to technology center schools.

Added by Laws 1996, c. 252, § 1, eff. July 1, 1996. Amended by Laws 2001, c. 33, § 120, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2002, c. 149, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2002. Renumbered from § 24-100 of this title by Laws 2002, c. 149, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2002. Amended by Laws 2008, c. 216, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2008; Laws 2013, c. 311, § 4; Laws 2015, c. 246, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2015.