Juvenile proceedings; court required to notify local superintendent of education or private K-12 school principal of charging or adjudicating an enrolled student delinquent for committing certain criminal offenses

Schools get juvenile notices with privacy rules

Beginning October 1, 2026, Alabama juvenile courts must notify schools about certain charges or findings that a child committed an offense. This applies to children believed to attend a public or private K–12 school. Written notice is required within seven days for capital offenses, murder, first-degree rape, or first-degree sodomy. For other acts that would be crimes for adults, courts may send notice within seven days. Notices go to the public school district superintendent or private school principal; superintendents may promptly forward them to principals. Courts choose the delivery method, unless the Administrative Office of Courts sets it. Notices are limited to offenses found to have been committed, their code sections, brief descriptions, and the case outcome. Principals may share notices with counselors who directly supervise or report on the child’s behavior or progress. Other staff who directly supervise or report on the child may receive information needed to help the child or protect students and staff. Information must remain confidential and be used only to help rehabilitate the child or protect students and staff. Further sharing is limited to necessary people, including parents, guardians, legal custodians, law enforcement, and juvenile probation officers. Intentionally breaking these privacy rules is a Class A misdemeanor handled by juvenile court.