It is the policy of the Seattle School Board that District staff bears the primary responsibility for maintaining proper order and conduct in our schools. However, there are times when law enforcement, child protective agencies, and the county health department will be called upon to ensure the safety and protection of students or staff.

Staff will be responsible for holding students accountable for infractions of school or District rules, which may include minor infractions of the law occurring during school hours or at school activities. When violations of the law are involved, the principal or their designee may refer such matters to the appropriate legal authorities. Decisions to prosecute rest with the legal authority.

The District will strive to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with law enforcement and other government agencies. The Superintendent or their designee will confer with law enforcement, child protective authorities, and health department officials to establish agreed upon procedures. Such procedures should address child abuse and neglect investigations, criminal investigations, handling bomb threats, arrests by law enforcement officers on school premises, the availability of law enforcement personnel for crowd control purposes, reporting of communicable disease cases and investigations, and other matters that effect school, law enforcement, and other agency cooperation. Such procedures will be made available to affected staff and periodically revised.

The Superintendent is authorized to develop procedures to implement this policy.

Superintendent Procedure:

• 4310SP.A Relations with Law Enforcement, Child Protective Services, and the County Health Department
• 4310SP.B Limiting Immigration Enforcement at Schools

Policy Cross References:

• 1430BP – Audience Participation
• 3124 – Removal/Release of Student During School Hours
• 3143 – Notification and Dissemination of Information About Student Offenses and Notification of Threats of Violence or Harm
• 3207 – Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying of Students
• 3208 – Sexual Harassment of Students Prohibited
• 3119 – Residency
• 3225 – School-Based Threat Assessment
• 3231 – Student Records
• 3240 – Student Behavior and Disciplinary Responses
• 3414 – Infectious Diseases
• 3421 – Child Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Prevention
• 3432 – Emergencies
• 4020 – Confidential Communications
• 4200 – School Visitations and Maintaining Safe and Orderly Environments
• 4210 – Weapons Prohibition for Adults and Visitors
• 4311 – School Safety and Security Services Program
• 4315 – Release of Information Concerning Sexual and Kidnapping Offenders

Previous Policies:

• D78.00 – School-Police Relations

Legal References:

• RCW 10.31.100 Arrest without warrant.
• RCW 13.40.040 Taking juvenile into custody, grounds—Detention of, grounds—Detention pending disposition—Release on bond, conditions—Bail jumping.
• RCW 13.40.140 Juveniles entitled to usual judicial rights—Notice of—Open court—Privilege against self-incrimination—Waiver of rights, when.
• RCW 26.44.030 Reports—Duty and authority to make—Duty of receiving agency—Duty to notify—Case planning and consultation—Penalty for unauthorized exchange of information—Filing dependency petitions—Investigations—Interviews of children—Records—Risk assessment process.
• RCW 26.44.050 Abuse or neglect of child—Duty of law enforcement agency or department of children, youth, and families—Taking child into custody without court order, when.
• RCW 26.44.110 Information about rights—Custody without court order—Written statement required—Contents.
• RCW 26.44.115 Child taken into custody under court order—Information to parents.
• RCW 28A.225.060 Custody and disposition of child absent from school without excuse. RCW 28A.345.085 Model policy and procedure for nurturing a positive social and emotional school and classroom climate—Adoption by school districts.
• RCW 28A.635.020 Willfully disobeying school administrative personnel or refusing to leave public property, violations, when – Penalty.
• RCW 43.10.310 – Immigration enforcement model policies.
• 20 U.S.C. § 1232g Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. 

Management Resources:

• WSSDA Policy & Legal News, August 2020, July 2013.
• Keep Washington Working Act Guidance, Model Policies, and Best Practices for Public Schools; Washington State Office of the Attorney General, May 2020.
• Basic Rules of Seattle Public Schools 

Last Board Review:

Revisions:

• May 27, 2025 (Administrative Update per Policy No. 1310)

Adopted by the Board:

• June 18, 2014