I must commend my Senator, Luz Robles (D – Salt Lake, District 1) for proposing SB 59 – At-Risk Student Provisions.
Having grown up on the West-side of Salt Lake my entire life, I know first hand the effect gang activity can have on a school. Furthermore, as a volunteer with the Salt Lake Peer Court program, I have seen how many students can easily get sucked into the gang lifestyle and how difficult it can be to get out – let alone receive an education that is of any value. One of the most common things we hear from parents is that the gang activities their children engaged in started small, but nothing was done to stop it from growing.
That is where SB 59 comes in. The bill would require the State Board of Education to make rules that require local school boards to come up with policies related to gang activity and outlines various provisions that should be included in these rules.
The rules themselves are very straight forward: School personnel will report suspected gang activity, students who participate in gang activity will not be allowed to participate in athletics, parents will be notified of gang related damage and possibly have to pay, parents will be made aware of serious gang-related incidents, and faculty and staff will be trained to spot gang activity.
My only suggestion to Senator Robles is to remove the suggested mandate to prevent gang members from extracurricular activities. Oftentimes kids join gangs to feel as though they fit in, to remove a possible healthy outlet is not advisable. These students need something to keep them busy, and after school programs could be the key to a student teetering on the edge to veer away from a gang. Of course, if the student is too far gone, some activities should be removed as a punishment.
Overall, though, this is a good bill and it deserves to pass.
