Senator Bolick Speaks on Legislative Plans to Increase School Safety After Maryvale Stabbing

In the wake of a tragic stabbing at Maryvale High School, Senator Shawnna Bolick is renewing her push for legislation aimed at making school safety data more accessible to the public.

The legislation, originally introduced as Senate Bill 1255, passed the Senate with bipartisan support earlier this year but stalled in the House. 

Shawnna Bolick says she intends to bring back the bill during the next legislative session that would require public school districts and charter schools to post school safety data directly on their websites. 

The bill's resurgence comes after the death of 16-year-old Michael Montoya II, a student at Maryvale High School who was fatally stabbed on campus on August 19. 

Authorities say the incident took place in a classroom, leaving Montoya with multiple stab wounds after an alleged robbery of a firearm. 

"This is a painful reminder of what happens when children grow up in environments where criminal behavior is allowed to take root," Bolick said in a recent press release. "The result is a senseless loss of life, a 16-year-old facing murder charges, and a community left shattered."

If reintroduced and passed, the proposed legislation would require schools to link to the most recent data reported to the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection survey. 

That survey includes information on incidents such as violence, bullying, and other safety-related matters. In addition, the Arizona Department of Education would be tasked with compiling an annual report using the data to provide a broader view of school safety across the state.

Bolick emphasized that giving families access to this information is a matter of transparency and accountability.

"Families in Arizona should know how safe their child's public school is, and this information should be easily accessible on every school's website to ensure complete transparency," she said. "I will continue to advocate for safety awareness in schools by reintroducing similar legislation next session to make it a reality."

Though the previous version of the bill did not make it through the whole legislative process, Bolick says she is committed to reintroducing similar legislation in the upcoming session in hopes of finally turning the proposal into law.