Nikkel, Szabo Named to Task Force to Study School Discipline

DENVER – Speaker of the House Frank McNulty named state Reps. B.J. Nikkel, R-Loveland, and Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, to the Legislative Task Force to Study School Discipline.


Senate Bill 133 created the Legislative Task Force to Study School Discipline, which is responsible for reviewing issues related to juvenile justice and school discipline in the pursuit of ensuring a safe environment in Colorado schools. McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, appointed House Majority Whip Nikkel as the vice chair of the task force and Szabo as one of the task force members.

“This legislative task force takes on the multifaceted challenge of finding appropriate and meaningful discipline in our schools,” said Nikkel. “Colorado’s zero-tolerance policies have led to over 10,000 referrals from schools to law enforcement last year alone and research has shown that taking students out of the classroom can lead to low graduation rates and achievement gaps.”

Colorado received national attention for cases of school and law enforcement discipline measures that many deemed as overly aggressive. Earlier this year, a 10-year-old who found a broken toy gun and brought it to school was arrested and detained for several days.

“Every situation involving the safety of our schools is different and enforcing a universal discipline policy may not always yield the best results,” said Szabo. “This task force is designed to find the balance between fair but effective policies so that schools can be a safe place for our children while ensuring those who require more disciplinary action are treated fairly.”


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