Legal Issues

Iowa School Safety Guide

The materials provided here are in draft form so that you may customize them to fit your school/district needs.

• School safety plan document
• Self assessment form to aid your planning
• Flip chart for specific incident response
• Flip chart for specific procedures to enact
• Threat incident report form
• Guidance for classroom door locks

Additional Legal Resources:

• "Ask Matt" webinar archive
• PowerPoint presentations archive of Matt Carver's sessions
• School Administrators of Iowa Important Dates and Numbers Guide
• SAI Report Legal Issues Article Index - Link to an index of previous columns from the SAI Report. 

General Legal Topics  

Accreditation

• Chapter 12 - General Accreditation Standards

Activities 

• Guidance on Scholarship Rule

Attendance 

• Iowa Department of Education Attendance Policy Guidelines
• Tami Marie Schmidt decision re. attendance policy guidelines

Bullying

• Resources to help address bullying

Confinement and Restraint

• Chapter 103 - Corporal Punishment Ban; Restraint; Physical Confinement and Detention
• Sample Annual Notice to Parents
• Sample Documentation Form

Custody 

• Child Custody/Records Information

Cyber Safety

• Education Tips from the Electronic Crime Institute

Enrollment 

• Residency/Enrollment Guidelines

Homelessness

• Caregiver Authorization Form 
• Liaison responsibilities
• Chapter 33 Iowa Administrative Code
• Questions and Answers on Special Education and Homelessness
• Who should be considered homeless children and youth?

Human Resources 

• Employee Background Checks
• Sample Letter to Selected Candidate for Teaching/Administrative Position
• U.S. Dept. of Labor Letter Opinion on Non-Teacher Coaches' Pay, download letter ; analysis of opinion letter by SAI, download analysis  

Open Meetings Law 

• Iowa's Open Meetings Law - Sunshine Advisory bulletins from Attorney General's Office

Sex Offenders

• Iowa's Sex Offender Law Pertaining to Schools
• Sex Offender School Visitation Request Form 

Special Education 

• Special Education Students and the Alternative School 
• Special Education Records 

 Student Conduct 

• Expulsion Documents
• Good Conduct Policy
• Sample Handbook Language Re: Threats of Violence
• Student Harassment Prevention Resource Materials

Student Fees

• DE Aug. 4, 2008, Student Fees Declaratory Ruling
• School Fees Q & A from SAI Fall 2008 Legal Lab

Student Records 

• Child Custody/Records Information
• Cumulative Student Record 
• Permanent Student Record 
• Special Education Records

Technology 

• Cyber Safety in Education Tips from the Electronic Crime Institute
• Staff Use of Technology handout from 2010 School Law Conference