With the district’s approval of the final details regarding the implementation of the Safe and Supportive Minnesota School Act in August, the law will be fully implemented in Park schools in fall according to Superintendent Rob Metz.

Although Park already had its own set of policies related to bullying transcribed in the student handbook, certain provisions needed to be modified in order to comply with state law. To carry out such task, a school safety council amended their current policy to fit the Minnesota School Board Association’s model policy which according to Metz was approved by the district school board.

“The Minnesota School Board Association wrote a policy to fit the new law so along with pretty much every public school accepted the changes,” Metz said.

As for the major changes, Metz said that among other actions, the district needed set a clear definition of the bullying policy and ensure it be distributed throughout the district.

“I sent [the policy] to every employee in the district and it should be posted in every office in the district,” Metz said. “At the high school it will be passed out in advisory.”

Additionally, the law requires that not only that the staff be trained in the details of the policy is, but that someone at each school be charged with dealing and recording bullying issues. In the high school, that will be Interim Assistant Principal Kari Schwietering.

According to Schwietering, in addition to distributing the policy during advisory, the administration will place posters around the school with the posters. Schwietering also said his law will help strengthen the high school’s already existing policy.

“The district will make eight posters that will be placed around the school in places like the student office,” she said. “At St. Louis Park we already had an appropriate bullying policy so hopefully this will help the district deal with the issue in a more uniform way.”

In regard to the specifics of the law, some students like Freshman Annabella Strathman say that there should be more of a focus on cyber bullying.

“I think it’s a good plan but focusing more on cyberbullying would be a good change,” said Strathman.

Metz echoed that saying that overall the new policy will bring a consistent and efficient way of handling the issue of student bullying.

“I like the idea of a contact person because we’ll know it will be handled consistently by Mrs. Schwietering,” Metz said. “Training of the staff will also help as they will report issue to her so that students will be reassured that the issue will be taken seriously.”