Minneapolis Star Tribune. September 2, 2023.
Editorial: Clarify rules to get officers back in school
Unclear statewide restrictions on restraining students have caused law enforcement to pull out of schools.
As Minnesota students return to school this week, many may notice the absence of a familiar face. In response to new state rules, fewer school resource officers (SROs) will be walking the hallways getting to know kids while keeping them safe. A growing number of law enforcement agencies have pulled sworn SROs from schools because, leaders say, statewide restrictions on the use of physical holds could interfere with officers’ ability to do their jobs.
The concern is legitimate. Provisions added during the 2023 legislative session need more clarity. The wording as it stands could be interpreted to mean that virtually any kind of student restraint is illegal. Officers could be held liable, civilly or even criminally, even if a situation reasonably demanded that an officer intervene physically with a student.
The provision was approved as part of a sweeping education bill in May. Several law enforcement organizations are concerned that it would force school officers to call for backup from off-campus patrols rather than resolve problems quickly. As of late last week, at least 10 Minnesota law enforcement agencies said they had pulled officers from schools.
In response, on Wednesday, a group of GOP lawmakers joined officers in calling on DFL Gov. Tim Walz to convene a special session to clarify or repeal the changed law.
“In emergency situations, minutes matter. Seconds matter,” said Sen. Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville, echoing concerns metro area superintendents discussed recently with an editorial writer.
As Minnesota students return to school this week, many may notice the absence of a familiar face. In response to new state rules, fewer school resource officers (SROs) will be walking the hallways getting to know kids while keeping them safe. A growing number of law enforcement agencies have pulled sworn SROs from schools because, leaders say, statewide restrictions on the use of physical holds could interfere with officers’ ability to do their jobs.
The concern is legitimate. Provisions added during the 2023 legislative session need more clarity. The wording as it stands could be interpreted to mean that virtually any kind of student restraint is illegal. Officers could be held liable, civilly or even criminally, even if a situation reasonably demanded that an officer intervene physically with a student.
The provision was approved as part of a sweeping education bill in May. Several law enforcement organizations are concerned that it would force school officers to call for backup from off-campus patrols rather than resolve problems quickly. As of late last week, at least 10 Minnesota law enforcement agencies said they had pulled officers from schools.
In response, on Wednesday, a group of GOP lawmakers joined officers in calling on DFL Gov. Tim Walz to convene a special session to clarify or repeal the changed law.
“In emergency situations, minutes matter. Seconds matter,” said Sen. Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville, echoing concerns metro area superintendents discussed recently with an editorial writer.
The portion of the law that was changed limits district employees or agents — including SROs — from placing students into certain types of holds. It specifically prohibits putting a student face down on the ground, or putting “pressure or weight on a pupil’s head, throat, neck, chest, lungs, sternum, diaphragm, back, or abdomen ... .” The law limits the use of reasonable force to situations where students are posing a risk of bodily harm or death to themselves or someone else.
Anoka-Hennepin, the largest school system in the state, said that five of the six law enforcement agencies operating in the district have suspended their SRO school presence, leaving only one of 12 officers in its schools. Maplewood, Roseville, Moorhead and the Anoka County Sheriffs’ office are among those who have paused or suspended SRO service.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said she will remove the SRO officer from Rockford High School because of the uncertainty. “It is my hope that we can continue to navigate the needs and concerns of community members. Unfortunately, the ambiguous limitations imposed this year are incompatible with sworn duties of a licensed peace officer,” she said. ”(W)hen the need to respond to a serious incident arises, (officers) need to know that they will not be held liable for appropriately fulfilling that duty.”
Meanwhile, the state’s second- and third-largest districts — St. Paul and Minneapolis — ended their SRO programs with local police departments following the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020. And some other districts will retain their SROs; both the Duluth and Rochester police departments say they’ll continue their SRO programs this fall. They are keeping them, presumably, in light of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s interpretation of the new statute.
In a statement, Ellison wrote that the new law does not bar officers from “reasonable” uses of force. Walz wrote in a statement of his own that his administration will work with school leaders and law enforcement agencies “to ensure they have the guidance and resources they need to do their jobs effectively.”
“We are discouraged that such a significant law that impacts the safety of our children was imposed without any stakeholder input,” Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director James Stuart said. “However, we remain optimistic that we can all work together to resolve the many concerns that the (oversight) has created.”
The Star Tribune Editorial Board hopes that optimism will prove to be well placed. State officials should work energetically with law enforcement and school districts to develop some kind of clarification or assurance long before the Legislature reconvenes in January. With most schools opening on Tuesday, districts that want SROs in their buildings should have them back in school as soon as possible.
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Mankato Free Press. September 4, 2023.
Editorial: Updated vaccinations necessary for students
Why it matters: With schools again filling up with students and staff, up-to-date immunizations are a way to make sure everyone stays healthy for the academic year.
Pencils, backpacks, water bottles and a long list of other must-haves are on the back-to-school list for students as the new school year kicks off.
Vaccinations also should be checked off that list.
Immunization rates in the state — as is the case across the nation — have continued to decline since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Rates have decreased nearly 4 percentage points for most of the required vaccines.
As the health department stresses, that gap leaves many more students vulnerable to preventable disease.
The trend is a serious concern, especially for our youngest students. Consider that non-medical exemptions for the measles-mumps-rubella immunization for kindergartners increased 4.28% last school year; in 2013 the MMR non-medical exemption rate was 2.76%. Those are three serious preventable diseases that more kids are now vulnerable to getting — and spreading. Recent measles outbreaks have occurred in Minnesota because parents opted to not immunize their children against the disease.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started here in 2020, there has been a palpable pushback across the nation about getting immunized. Instead of a public health issue, vaccinations were twisted into a political issue.
That vaccination-resistant mindset does the most damage to our vulnerable populations — young children, older adults and the immune suppressed. Not only are vaccinations scientifically proven to help the inoculated avoid more serious illness, but an inoculated general population protects those who can’t be vaccinated. Any parent who has witnessed their babies and toddlers suffer multiple attacks of RSV knows how important newly available protection is against that respiratory disease.
None of this is new information about the value of immunization to public health, but as another school year gets underway, it’s important that parents make sure their children’s immunizations are up to date. A successful school year depends on healthy attendance, and attendance of both students and staff depends on everyone being as healthy as possible.
Flu shots are now available and later this month a new COVID vaccination is expected to be out. If you aren’t sure what vaccinations to get and when, contact your medical provider. Act on reliable information rather than being susceptible to claims that can take a toll on you and your loved ones’ health, as well as the community as a whole.
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