“I think that we are working very hard to stop the school-to-prison pipeline, and I think this might inadvertently increase the number of children who are referred to law enforcement,” said Kelli Hopkins, a Missouri School Boards’ Association attorney.

Hopkins said the term “knowingly” sets a higher standard for what can be third-degree assault. For example, a 5-year-old or a student with special needs might not “knowingly” cause injury to somebody, she said. Generally, courts don’t hold children to that standard until they reach their teen years.

Hopkins said she’s more concerned about the harassment statute, because harassment, which can include school bullying, soon will be a felony in some cases, and school districts are supposed to report harassment to law enforcement. Because it is so loosely defined, Hopkins said, she is concerned that even calling someone names could technically qualify as harassment.

“This is a serious, serious thing for school districts,” she said.

But many school districts haven’t indicated that they will change how they report offenses to police.