Parental Notification Bill Defeated in Senate

HB 1548 (Del. Kory) would have required that the school principal or designee notify the parents of any student who violates a school board policy or the compulsory attendance requirements when such violation "is likely to" result in the student's suspension or the filing of a court petition. We opposed the bill because it imposes additional reporting requirements on school personnel and because it may lead to parental interference with investigations of student misconduct and challenges to disciplinary decisions. Yesterday we, along with VASS and VEA, distributed a letter to every Senator seeking their support in opposing the bill. On the floor of the Senate, several Senators spoke in opposition to the bill, reading from and citing to our joint letter. Yesterday, the Senate defeated the bill on a vote of 28 to 12.