Procedure for Reporting Abuse and Neglect

1. When a school employee has reason to believe that a student has been or may be subjected to abuse or neglect, the employee shall immediately notify the building principal or designee.
2. Upon notice of abuse or neglect, the building principal will make an immediate oral report to the Children's Division (CD) of the Missouri Department of Social Services by telephoning the Abuse Hotline at 1-800-392-3738. The call will be logged with the date, time and nature of the report.
3. School personnel will not notify the student's parents that a Hotline report has been made.
4. When CD representatives interview students on District property, a school staff member will be present. CD representatives may not meet with a child at any school or childcare facility where abuse of the child is alleged to have occurred.
5. When CD receives a report of suspected abuse involving a school employee, CD is required to notify the Superintendent. If the alleged perpetrator is the Superintendent, CD will notify the Board President.
6. The Superintendent will conduct an investigation to determine if the report was made for the purpose of harassing a school employee. If it appears that the report was not made for harassment purposes, the matter will be reported back to the CD and to the county juvenile officer immediately. The report will then be jointly investigated by the Superintendent and the juvenile officer.
7. Within seven (7) days of receiving notice from CD, the Superintendent and juvenile officer will submit separate reports to the Board of Education. Each report will state a conclusion concerning the validity of complaint of abuse.
8. Within seven (7) days of receiving the reports, the Board will consider the reports and issue findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Board's report will be forwarded to the CD.