§ 25 — Annual review

(a) Each public school district, through its school board or the board's designee, shall conduct a minimum of one annual meeting at which it will review each school building's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures, including procedures regarding the school district's threat assessment team, the school district's hazardous substance release procedures, procedures regarding the school district's cardiac emergency response plan, the efficacy and effects of law enforcement drills, and each building's compliance with the school safety drill programs. The purpose of this annual review shall be to review and update the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures and the school safety drill programs of the district and each of its school buildings. This review must be at no cost to the school district. In updating a school building's emergency and crisis response plans, consideration may be given to making the emergency and crisis response plans available to first responders, administrators, and teachers for implementation and utilization through the use of electronic applications on electronic devices, including, but not limited to, smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers. (b) Each school board or the board's designee is required to participate in the annual review and to invite each of the following parties to the annual review and provide each party with a minimum of 30 days' notice before the date of the annual review: (1) The principal of each school within the school district or his or her official designee. (2) Representatives from any other education-related organization or association deemed appropriate by the school district. (3) Representatives from all local first responder organizations to participate, advise, and consult in the review process, including, but not limited to: (A) the appropriate local fire department or district; (B) the appropriate local law enforcement agency; (C) the appropriate local emergency medical services agency if the agency is a separate, local first responder unit; (D) any other member of the first responder or emergency management community that has contacted the district superintendent or his or her designee during the past year to request involvement in a school's emergency planning or drill process; and (E) the applicable emergency services and disaster agency or the applicable local emergency planning committee. (4) The school board or its designee may also choose to invite to the annual review any other persons whom it believes will aid in the review process, including, but not limited to, any members of any other education-related organization or the first responder or emergency management community. (c) Upon the conclusion of the annual review, the school board or the board's designee shall sign a one page report, which may be in either a check-off format or a narrative format, that does the following: (1) summarizes the review's recommended changes to the existing school safety plans and drill plans; (2) lists the parties that participated in the annual review, and includes the annual review's attendance record; (3) certifies that an effective review of the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures and the school safety drill programs of the district and each of its school buildings has occurred; (4) states that the school district will implement those plans, protocols, procedures, and programs, during the academic year; and (5) includes the authorization of the school board or the board's designee. (d) The school board or its designee shall send a copy of the report to each party that participates in the annual review process and to the appropriate regional superintendent of schools. If any of the participating parties have comments on the certification document, those parties shall submit their comments in writing to the appropriate regional superintendent. The regional superintendent shall maintain a record of these comments. The certification document may be in a check-off format or narrative format, at the discretion of the district superintendent. (e) The review must occur at least once during the fiscal year, at a specific time chosen at the school district superintendent's discretion. (f) A private school shall conduct a minimum of one annual meeting at which the school must review each school building's emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures, including procedures regarding the school's cardiac emergency response plan, and each building's compliance with the school safety drill programs of the school. The purpose of this annual review shall be to review and update the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures and the school safety drill programs of the school. This review must be at no cost to the private school. The private school shall invite representatives from all local first responder organizations to participate, advise, and consult in the review process, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) the appropriate local fire department or fire protection district; (2) the appropriate local law enforcement agency; (3) the appropriate local emergency medical services agency if the agency is a separate, local first responder unit; and (4) any other member of the first responder or emergency management community that has contacted the school's chief administrative officer or his or her designee during the past year to request involvement in the school's emergency planning or drill process.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-608, eff. 1-1-25; 104-344, eff. 1-1-26 .)