I'd like to call the September 14th,
2020 Policy Standing Committee to Order at 506.
And if we could just go around the room for a roll call
to introduce ourselves and state our name and our position.
I'm Trisha Steiner, school director, and.
I am John Abel, Board member.
Jason Refsnyder, representing the administration.
Michelle Agee Board Secretary
and Citizen Advisor,
calls their work.
And I call Sarah Foster as an advisor.
Kip Shore School Director.
Lindsay Driscoll. Director Okay.
Thank you.
And thank you all for coming tonight.
Welcome back.
After an unprecedented summer
and school year.
We have a busy agenda, as you all know.
Most of the policies are related to the new title nine
regulations and COVID related
implications that were had on our policies.
So we'll jump right in with policy 103 and policy one two for discrimination.
So we probably should just review the minutes from last meeting.
Oh, I forgot about the minutes.
Yeah, no worries.
I'm so anxious to get to the agenda.
The summary minutes are attached
as anybody has any questions or comments.
Please let me know.
But they don't actually have to be approved, so I'm just noting them.
But if anybody has any any questions or corrections,
please make me aware.
Anyone?
All right.
We'll move on to one of three then.
And one for.
So these policies are sort of
at the center of the title nine
regulations that were implemented in May and had to be effective as of August.
Mr. Ray Snider has been named our.
I can't remember the name of the.
Title nine coordinator.
So he had extensive training.
So if you'd like to comment on all of these.
Yeah.
So I'm
in the middle of the pandemic.
The federal government decided it would be a great time to introduce
new legislation and not new legislation, but a revised Title nine
regulations and gave campuses secondary and college campuses
a couple of months in order to implement the changes.
So I am supportive of the new changes and just the timing of it was
was very unfortunate.
So I'm pretty much what what the changes do is they
they take what used to be a one person job for the most part and break
it into a four person job.
So and then each of those individuals needs training,
so on how to do their job and how to handle an investigation.
What they're looking to basically do is take the bias away
from from investigations and also
clearly define
what sexual harassment is from other forms of harassment,
but where in the past someone might have had a complaint of
of title nine, it could have been handled by one person.
But now
you have a Title nine coordinator that oversees it and provides
the complaint and and the individuals with with their rights.
The Title nine coordinator then goes and assigns an investigator to the case.
That investigator conducts their investigation and writes a report
investigator then handed over to the title nine
coordinators appoint a decision maker.
The decision maker makes a decision on behalf of the entity,
and then if there's any appeals by either party,
then we have a fourth person that comes in to handle the appeal process.
All those who are trying to make sure it is as unbiased as as possible.
So while the intent is is great and I have no issues with
the reason and
rationale for it, it doesn't necessarily fit
public good or as well as it does colleges.
So this is title nine for for all levels,
you know, and once again, the timing of it just was very unfortunate.
But I'm happy to report the district is in compliance.
I did complete the training.
We do have the information posted on our website.
We're in a we're in the
process of revising our policy
to make sure it meets all those regulations.
So and then after the policies passed, we already have
training that's available for for staff.
So everybody in the district needs to be trained on on this,
you know, should that have happened by August 14th?
Probably.
But there is a good faith effort on our Title nine page on the website.
There's a there's a letter and signed by Mr.
McFarlane and our board president, Ms.. Secker,
explaining what the district's role is.
So this you'll see this throughout tonight.
And a number of these policies bullying, hazing,
have some of the Title nine language in it. So
thank you.
So does anybody have any thing that you'd like to add or comment on the policy?
I don't think there's really a whole lot we can do because this is
highly regulated.
The only comment that I had
was on attachment to discrimination.
There were under a step for it.
It has options of 20 days, 30 days or blank school days
of when the investigator shall prepare and submit a written
report.
Yeah, So
that's something that we'll need to decide
how many days that that will be.
I can tell you from my past experiences, 20,
that goes by very fast
considering all the other things that are happening
in the training that,
that I participated in, they did strongly suggest
that we don't put an absolute timeframe on it.
You know, for whatever reason, if that comes back, that can
that can do more harm to the district than it can do help with the district.
So. Well, we just leave
this open ended like this or we just say, you know what, when we say.
Here, I think I mean,
so the language.
So what we've been told is this should happen as soon as possible.
There shouldn't really be delays,
but we try to make sure that you're
giving people definitely enough time.
Do I think 20 days is enough?
I don't know.
It really kind of depends on what's happening.
Remember, the investigator also has a job that they have to do during the day,
and you need to make sure that all those folks that
are participating in the investigation are at school.
I think I mean, so if I had to pick, I think somewhere between 30
and 45 would be good.
But these are just these are my my opinions, not
not everyone's opinion.
Right.
Well, as the coordinator, your opinion matters here.
Yeah.
You know, 45 school days is a marking period
That seems long, but it it really isn't long
when you're investigating some really complicated cases.
And and that's that's a maximum.
I mean, we definitely always try to finish things as soon as we can.
So I think I probably would choose
45 just to make sure we're safe on those bigger cases.
I think that's fair.
The only question that I had was regarding
like in the virtual world that we're in right now, how that could
potentially change the process flow of how someone would go about
reaching out to the appropriate building principal or whatnot.
So that process stays the same.
One of the things that they said is this is kind of
like safe to say, it's 24 seven and nonstop.
A report can be filed in my job as the time
coordinator is once I know about it, I need to start looking into it.
So this information should be in our student handbooks.
Right now. There's a little section
pretty much as a copy and paste of what we have on our website that was shared
with each of the the building levels to make sure it's make sure it's there.
I'm pretty sure that Mr.
Tredinnick included it with
the annual policy packet that he puts together.
So to answer your question, Lindsey, people should know
what they, what they need to do virtually or on campus.
When you were
talking about the number of days, if you wanted to have something,
you know, a date to work with, you could just say,
you know, investigations would happen in a timely fashion.
Within 30 days,
extensions granted on a case per case basis.
That way you have something solid and also a back door if you need to.
If you have a particularly complicated
case, you can always add time to it
to allow for that.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
Okay.
Can I ask one other question? Yeah.
So in looking at the I'm on page
six of 13
at the top and it goes down through the.
So the start of the section is title nine.
Sexual harassment means conduct on the basis of sex
that satisfies one or more of the following.
And then under number
three, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking.
The definition of stalking
states under Title nine means stalking on the basis of sex.
For example, the stalker desires to date a victim.
So this is all very
just standard language, I'm guessing, from federal.
But I feel that this is
I'm not even sure what the right word
is for it, because I don't think that I would
say stalking on the basis of sex,
as an example, is the stalker desires to date a victim.
Yeah.
So and once again, Lindsay, this is only my understanding.
This is these definitions are specific to Title nine investigations.
It doesn't mean that the that the school or cannot act
and encompass it under another policy or rule.
But what we were told during the training is everything is specific
to Title nine and Title nine complaints and investigations only.
Okay.
But I think maybe it's at some point if we could just dive
a little deeper into it and understand that because
it would blow my mind if it were not,
something would not qualify for Title nine if it was.
Well, I didn't want to date the person.
Do you kind of follow where I'm going with that?
Yeah. Okay.
Yeah, that's a really good point, Ms.. Drew.
And my understanding of this is solely to this carve out to address Title nine.
The district obviously can have and does have,
I would say,
different policies for discrimination
and what we might deem to be inappropriate behavior.
So so we certainly can go beyond what this requires.
And I think I think the district does.
But this is sort of what we have to do for the feds.
Okay. The purpose of this.
So I think that's a very good point.
Again, this is not really exclusive.
There's there's obviously a number of other district policies that we have.
One, discrimination and Right.
Inclusivity.
So I think that's a really important point for everyone to know.
I wanted to that I don't want to cut.
You know.
The the one thing that I wanted to ask so either
I don't know if this was purposeful, but so one of the three is for students
and one or four are for staff and the form
for the students
does not have the under penalty of perjury class,
but for the staff it does.
So I don't know if that was purposeful
or if that was an oversight and folks can follow.
But I mean, there's there's a form here that the person has to fill out.
So if you are an employee, you have to fill all this out
and you have been there, you have a line at the end that you signed.
And then for the
for the staff is under penalty of perjury, but it's not there for the students.
So I didn't know if that was.
I'll get folks a chance to
kind of catch up on what I'm talking about.
Could it be just because they're a minor, they can't be held to that?
Well, I see that.
I don't know.
Obviously, we want to make sure whoever's reporting it is being truthful.
Right.
But but if I have it right.
So if you look if you look at the the one for the student
and get it off scroll the whole way, the bottom
right before they sign
this, the
the person is saying I'm saying.
You know trying to find the for.
Okay so so so the student has
okay 4904 and I'm going to shred this.
I'm going
in. It's there for both.
And that's good. Should be should be there for voting on.
It's not there.
It's they're missing.
As it is.
It's incongruent and so for the so I, I,
I guess the question is for the committee, if we want to make them congruent,
if everybody follows what I'm saying now that all they have to do is say it's
true, it's true to the best knowledge, information, belief or do both of those
should both be done under a penalty of perjury
if folks understand,
you know, there's two different trust occasions.
Yeah, I can certainly check with our.
Solicitor to check.
Okay, whatever.
Whatever the solicitor recommends, I would obviously follow up or say thank you.
Thank you.
I'm sorry, I don't want to I clicked on the link
for this stalking thing, and it appears as though this, for example, is
not a Title nine defined example.
It goes the link next to it for the citation goes to the Cornell Law Legal
Information Institute, and the direction the definition of stalking states.
The term stalking means engaging in a course of conduct
directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person
to fear for his or her safety
or the safety of others, or be suffer substantial emotional distress.
Can I then recommend that we strike that example from this policy?
I just really am uncomfortable with the correlation
as it relates to dating.
Is anyone opposed to that?
So it would be for both policies.
Yeah.
So Mr..
You're just saying stalking in total name means stalking on the basis of sex,
period? Yes. Stalking means to.
I'm comfortable with that.
It doesn't, it doesn't change the the meaning of some kind of stalking.
I just don't like the example and I feel like it's misleading.
And that's fine.
Thank you.
Yeah, I'm fine.
Right.
Your point is that you can have stalking
even though the stalker doesn't really want to date, right?
Right. Yes.
Right. That's a good point.
That's a fair. Exactly.
I just don't want there to be any false correlation
or if someone were to feel as though their Title nine rights were violated,
that if it was not in that context, that it would not count.
And I would imagine this.
But we'll see this policy again
once again.
I mean, the SBA had a lot of policies and a lot of work went into this.
But anytime there's a major overhaul and a significant piece of
legislation or policy,
it will most likely see this in this policy again,
with some additional revisions.
The actual from what
both sessions are trainings.
I sat in on the actual legal brief or I forgot what they call them
are very small, but the opinion pieces are are just it's just huge.
So here's the law, but here's how you interpret the the legislation.
So that's a good point.
Good point. In this room.
There's also a lot of lawsuits from different states.
So that could also change it in the future.
Thank you.
All right.
Anybody else have any comments on it?
Changes.
All right.
Can I have a motion then to approve policy?
103 Discrimination as amended as amended.
So moved. Second.
Ms.. Drew,
is that Mr. Abel? Yes.
Yeah. So are there any further discussions?
Are all those in favor say, I.
I. Any oppose?
All right.
The policy moves to the full board.
May I have a motion to move Policy one on for discrimination.
Title nine Sexual harassment affecting staff as amended.
So moved
Second, John Abel.
All right.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor say I, i any opposed?
All right.
The motion carries.
All right.
Next on our list is policy one, one one lesson plans.
This is one of the many policies that follow regarding
COVID 19
related issues.
Yeah, there were very minor changes in this policy.
As you can see.
Just lesson plans need to be available for assign substitute teachers and
removing words duplicated and websites
to more print or digital and audio visual resources.
So just updating what I don't even want to say current language, but
what recent language.
And this doesn't really change anything
for the way that teachers prepare for a possible.
No. Absence rate.
Correct.
All right.
Is anybody have any other comments or questions?
Motion to move 111
has revised and printed out and.
Second, Dr.
Sean Astrue, Any discussion?
Others in favor say I opposed.
All right.
Policy 111 moves to the full board.
Next is policy to zero three
immunizations and communicable diseases.
Yeah.
So this added language to include health and safety plan.
So one of the things you'll see over and over and over
again is health and safety plan, Health and safety plan.
You'll see in a couple of them getting rid of medical
to physical.
This one, for the most part, just
tells you how students are excluded from school.
Use the exclusion.
It takes place at the first day of school or five days into the school year
in I think it was June,
sometime early this summer or late spring,
they waive that first day and fifth day and moved it to I think about 60,
60 days into the school year before that exclusion happens.
Just for a frame of reference, that exclusion point used to be May 1st
so a student could attend the school pretty much the entire school year.
And then in May, as a building principal, we were scrambling to tell kids
and families, All right, you were good all year, but now you can't come.
So we were kind of happy, even though it's
a lot of work, to to move that to the beginning of the year.
I think based on what happened with the pandemic,
the 60 day exclusion period or the waivers was warranted.
So it just gets up today with what's what's currently happening.
All right, sounds good.
Anybody else have any comments?
Questions?
It's pretty straightforward.
Motion to move two or three to the board as presented.
Second, Dr.
Sean Astrue, any discussion?
All those in favor say I.
I oppose Policy 203 Moves
Policy to zero nine Health Examination screenings.
Yeah, this is kind of a repeat of the last one.
As I was saying, it just really retitled things
from medical examination to a health examination
and some language
with alternative methods
of meeting those requirements as well.
So once again, these are all recommendations
or the revisions are, are what PSB is
recommending.
All right.
Any questions?
Comments.
And I have a motion to move policy
to zero nine to the full board
for review.
So moved a second by John Abel.
That's true.
Mr. Abel, any discussion?
All those in favor say I opposed.
All right.
Policy to zero nine moves to the forward.
Policy to 47.
Hazing? Yes.
So the hazing is a continuation of
our Title nine policies
and really just kind of calls out
instead of just having a compliance officer.
If you remember the original
nondiscrimination, you had a compliance officer at the bottom.
So this also includes the title nine coordinator to make sure
it's handled in the best or most appropriate way.
And that's really
the only changes to the hazing
policy.
I have one note under confidentiality,
it looked like something was I have a note that something was missing,
perhaps a comma after regulations.
It's just kind of awkward.
Yeah, I think it should say a lot. And
as. For this regulation.
Yeah, I'll look into. This policy and the district's.
Yeah, I'll take a look to see what the recommendation was.
I just missed a word.
Yeah, that's fine. I think it might be a comma, but.
Yeah, thank you for. That.
You're welcome.
All right.
Any other comments?
Can I have a motion to move policy 247 Hazing to the full board
for 30 day review.
So go by John Abel, the second, Mr.
Abel. Second by mistrial.
Any discussion?
All those in favor say, I.
I oppose all policy.
247 moves.
Next is policy 249 Bullying, cyberbullying.
Yeah.
Same thing.
We just really added
the title nine coordinator and changed it from discrimination, discriminatory
harassment to title nine sexual harassment and other discrimination.
Otherwise nothing,
nothing, nothing changed.
And it looks like it does need a come because that's the same language
as the other one.
Yeah.
Okay.
There any comments for 249
and I have a motion
to move to 49 to the full board.
So we got John Abel second
District.
Abel mistrial.
Is there any discussion?
All those in favor say I any oppose?
All right.
Policy 249 moves
Policy 314 Physical examination
Yeah. This
so even though the top has some changes and that kind of follows
what we've been doing anyways so I have no concerns with that.
Otherwise they similar to the student policies
it just telling staff and folks how how they should monitor their health
during the pandemic and when the district can request
that they stay home and when they can't stay home.
And this is something that I've read pretty much every night I go home
and make phone calls.
And so I'm well aware of
the process at this point in time.
So, yeah,
and our staff have done a fabulous job
so far, so kudos to them.
All right.
Are there any questions?
Comments for 314
and I have not.
Yeah, I'll make a motion to approve.
All right. That's true.
Second.
Dr. Shah. Yes.
All right.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor say I.
I oppose.
All right.
Motion carries next as policy 318 Attendance and tardiness.
Yeah.
So this isn't so much for
tardiness as it just adds some language in there for unexpected absences.
And as you can imagine, most people during the pandemic don't expect to be absence.
But there's a lot of reasons that they may have to miss work,
including a son or daughter or spouse that gets sick.
And of course, if you listen to any of the radio announcements,
if you or a family member becomes sick, don't go to school and don't go to work.
So we've already have this procedure in place.
And once again, I said, I'm on the phone quite a bit.
So this is they know the procedures and they're doing a fantastic job with it. So
motion to
move 318 to the board as presented,
right? Dr.
Shah Second,
second.
True case.
Ask one question.
This doesn't have any bearing on collective bargaining agreements.
No, that's one to confirm. Yeah.
And fortunately, you know, our district
had already had an emergency leave
leave category in there.
So we think this changes it a little bit, but not substantially.
Okay. Thank you.
All right.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor say I.
I oppose
it. Motion carries.
Next policy is policy.
331 Job related expenses.
Yeah.
So once again, this is a result of the pandemic.
And if you look at the language, unless I'm missing something, it just
it just gives us the ability to approve
job related expenses, including travel, which
it really doesn't change anything for us.
The SBA did have some
language in there that would authorize the payment
of like high speed Internet for for staff that were required to tell the work
from home.
But no one's required to tell work from home.
It's a it's an option,
you know, if they're not able to work, but their feelings,
if they're feeling okay and they're able to work,
but they're not allowed to come in because a family member might be sick,
so they have different leave options.
So I didn't feel it was necessary for us to include that language in here
because no one is being required
to work from home at this point in time.
Motion to approve me.
Thank you, Mr..
Anybody want a second?
Second. Johnny?
Mr.. Abel. Thank you.
Any discussion?
All those in favor say I, i any opposed?
All right. Slight increase policy.
332 working periods.
Once again, as a result of the pandemic,
many districts and many organizations have found themselves
having to modify their their typical schedules.
Once again, to your question, last time Mr.
of this language tells us that pretty much states
it has to still comply with any CBA or any agreement that was previously made.
But otherwise it just gives the of the board an authority to determine
the hours and days which kind of coincides with the school calendar as well
and what that looks like.
Motion to approve.
Thank you, Mr.
Second.
Thank you. Dr. Shah.
Any discussion?
All those in favor say I.
I oppose.
All right.
Policy 330 to move to the full board.
Policy 330 for sick leave.
Yeah.
So this adds language are need to quarantine.
So this is a language.
A lot of it is once again a direct result of the pandemic.
And I don't particularly see any concerns
as far as our procedures and recommended language.
I just want to note
the quarantine is spelled incorrectly under authority.
All right.
Thank you.
So that's the one thing that drives me crazy
with the word docs, because when you're when you're doing track changes,
it's so hard to see an underlying green and underline red at the same time.
So thank you. Thank you.
Also under authority.
I thought it was kind of awkward sounding in that first sentence
where it says paid or unpaid sick leave pay.
And I was thinking maybe the word pay should be taken out.
Were employee claiming paid
or unpaid sick leave to submit sufficient proof?
Okay, I'll check on that just to make sure that's the way that it was written.
Yeah. Yeah.
Just on paid sick leave pay just sounds it does.
And I wonder if that's there for a reason.
So I'll check.
And if it's not there, I'll certainly get rid of it. Thank you.
Right.
Because I think if you look at it without the addition
it would have said claiming sick leave pay, whereas now
it would be eliminating pay and stating whether it's paid or unpaid leave.
Yeah.
Thank you.
All right.
Under records at the bottom itself, which shall reported.
It can be b Yeah. Okay.
Thank you.
It was probably when I was getting tired at the end of the day,
but it could have been the first one in the morning too. So
know it's a lot.
Mr. Isiah, thank you for all the work that you've done with us.
Thanks for catching those.
All right.
So may I have a motion then to move three, three, four to the full board?
So move by John Abel.
Second, Abel Drew any discussion?
All those in favor say I, I, i any oppose.
All right, Policy Three, three, four moves.
Next is policy 3400
responsibility for student welfare.
Yeah, and this is pretty much it.
I just really kind of deleted our old policy
and added the new recommendations.
How does it change materially, Jason?
I don't I don't think it does.
I mean, at the end of the day, you know, both policies, in my opinion,
are just saying it's your job as an employee to make sure that students
are taken care of while they're,
you know, in your
supervisor, while you're assigned to supervise them.
You know, some of the things it does have.
But I think the other one did as well.
I have to go and look is like,
you can't be sending students to run personal errands during the school day
and then to tell some horror stories when I was teaching, you know,
But we had colleagues that would send students over to Yoder's
country market to get donuts for their class during class class time.
So is that appropriate that no,
you know, so
there's nothing in there that that's troublesome to me.
I mean.
How do we address welfare in the context of it's
written here when we're teaching virtually?
Well, yeah. So good question.
So what we've tried to implore
on our own staff the same kind of rules apply.
If you see something that
is completely
out of the realm of acceptable,
like you need, you need to notify someone of that.
I know with our account I'll speak specifically for counseling sessions
that we're sending on the informed consent.
So they're they're having a 1 to 1 counseling session with the student,
and the student appears to possibly want to cause harm to themselves.
We have emergency contact numbers,
you know, and
that's one of the things that parents have to say, like someone will be around
if we need to get a hold of them, you know, in order to help that student.
So that's the most severe thing. But,
you know, if we see something during a session, it's our obligation
to make sure that we're notifying someone of what we see.
Because Pennsylvania does not have any laws correct that
directly relate to like the age of a child being left alone.
I think you're correct.
Puts teachers in really hard spot.
I don't know how you would address that within this policy,
but it just kind of stood out in the times or
having them teaching.
Right.
Any other comments or questions?
Motion to approve.
Thank you. Mr.
Second by John Abel.
Thank you, Mr. Abel.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor say I i any oppose.
The motion carries an access policy 705 Facilities
and Workplace safety.
Yeah.
So this is
So I feel like a broken record.
This, too, is a result of the pandemic.
And just giving the board the authority to require everyone to wear face coverings
or to comply with with any law
the board deems appropriate.
And like the previous
policies and all the other policies, these are things we were already doing.
Correct.
So these policies are just catching up to our practices.
How do we record the
compliance with the delegation responsibility
under the annual review, changing the periodic
that loosened the requirement or expectation?
I don't know.
I mean, that's so that's a conversation I think the board and the superintendent
can have to determine what that periodic looks like.
It could turn out that periodic is more than once a year.
It could be less than once a year.
I mean, could be it could be more.
This isn't just like a liability perspective.
There's a means of document vision for when that was reviewed
so that if there would be something that happens not in compliance or,
you know, that contradicts it.
And the reason I think the change, at least now, Lindsey and I would not be
surprised if when the pandemic is over this that wording gets changed back.
But if you remember, our health and safety plan was right reviewed.
I mean, things change.
Yeah, right, right. So.
Yeah,
I think under these conditions that's here to be reviewed more frequently.
Yeah, right.
All right.
Are there any other comments or questions?
Motion to approve.
Second by John Abel.
It's true. Mr. Abel.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor say I, i any opposed.
All right.
The motion carries policy.
803 School Calendar.
Yeah.
So this is really up your wheelhouse
and not so much mine, but that school calendar.
This just gives you more authority of of
what those instructional days and ours could look like.
And it takes a little known provision
that's in school code and kind of spells it out there for everyone to see.
And that's the area that I kind of have highlighted
when emergency arises,
you know, and there's there's actually language
in civil code.
It talks about pandemics which who are that who would ever thought in 1949
that they'd have the foresight to put something like that in there.
But but they did.
I have a concern on this under authority.
Fourth paragraph, last sentence says the board shown
a temporary provisions in response to the emergency,
which may remain in effect for a period of no more than four years.
That seems, first of all, arbitrary.
Why not three? Why not five?
And second, arguably
it's an oxymoron, temporary in response to an emergency for years now.
So I recommend that be changed to the board
may enact temporary provisions in response to the emergency period.
Just one note is that I just clicked on the link in school code.
It says, Shall temporary provisions remain in effect for a period of no more
than four years?
And I still disagree.
Okay.
Well, I just wanted to say that that seems like that's where it came from.
But we would want to choose. Yes, I see.
That's the link.
So we just
I, I just well, no, I would just say the board
may enact temporary provisions in response to the emergency
and then just let that up to the board's discretion at that time.
I mean, you can get into must review annually or
but emergent emergencies
by definition don't last for years.
A condition may last four years.
It may initially be an emergency, but it four years.
It's it's no longer an emergency
and temporary four years.
Why not three?
Why not five if we're going to I mean, this is our policy.
I understand that it's established the wording from school code.
I just don't I just disagree with that.
I don't know if we can change that language.
If it's in school code.
So what I've been told
is if something's written in school code,
most likely your solicitor's going to recommend not to change it.
I mean, as a board you can change anything that you want to.
So I want you to know that
I personally would be hesitant to change anything
taken verbatim,
but you can.
Once again, these are the board
policies and and
each community has a different set of values and what they believe in.
And so it's just a matter of what
this group would like to do.
I mean, four years does seem like a really long time.
That's yeah.
So if you if you leave the I mean, so I'm not as uncomfortable.
I mean, if you take Mr.
Shah's recommendation
and just the board shall and just put a period, we're still setting
then referencing
the code so that that doesn't necessarily go away
because you're not saying that's years, you're not a limit.
And even though you're eliminating the language,
you're not eliminating the code where the language came from, okay,
unless that was the intent.
So, no, no, no.
My intent was not to do anything contrary to the school code.
I'm just saying that
I think that if you change it and you say we can enact
and temporary measures in response to the emergency,
we understand what the school code says.
No more than four years.
But I just don't like having that length of time out there.
In our policy.
We can always go to school code and
and we can always make it shorter
or we can just renewing it or however we're going to to to do that.
But it's not a violation of school code.
It's just saying
we're going to do it on a temporary basis and just leave it open, ended it that.
You're just cutting the length language. Out.
Yeah, just just take the language out.
We know we mean it's you're going to reference the school code anyway.
I just.
I just don't like seeing that for years.
It bugs me.
I don't know if this is a thing or not,
but maybe the four years was put in there just as a stopgap in case someone
some sort of potential abuse of power.
What's interesting is that this dynamic,
that temporary response to, you know, gain some sort of leverage, I don't know.
That's the only thing I can see why maybe that was in there.
I could be reading it wrong. No,
what's interesting is that a
board makeup is changed every couple of years.
So over the span of four years, you're going to have two different
voting groups.
That's right.
And I think it may be I'm
somewhat well-intended in that sometimes
folks pass things and then forget about it.
And especially when you have the composition of a board changing.
But how?
I'm just saying, who's going to keep track of that?
So if you if if, if if you pass
provision right in, I don't know, early 2021
or who's going to keep track of that until late 2024.
Jason Well,
if, if Jason if Jason's still here in his current role,
if he's not, I mean, how does that.
I'm not opposed to.
No, I'm not. And I don't mean to make a big deal of it.
I know making a big deal of I just I'm sorry about that.
So if you wanted to just see the board and to have.
The board shown that temporary prevalent, temporary,
temporary provisions in response to the emergency period.
Okay.
I'm comfortable that as long as we have the citation
motion to approve as amended.
Second by John Abel.
All right.
It's true. Mr. Abel.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor say I.
I thank you for indulging me.
Any opposed?
All right.
Motion carries with as amended.
Next is policy.
824 Maintaining professional and student boundaries.
And this goes back to title nine changes.
Yeah.
So and also more so than pandemic than than a combination of both.
So on when I first saw A24, it was on there again, I was like,
Oh no, please don't.
Please don't make
do major revisions in this policy because we spent a lot of time on this one.
So it really just changes a couple, adds
a couple of words to platforms and that kind of
matches what we're doing with their online learning,
you know, and the use of Zoom
and also
as it adds some of the title line language in as well.
So I don't think anyone should be
fearful of the changes.
All right.
So I have one question.
So the we're the first tax change for green is not recognition,
but on page four
or four of six
when available, district provided email or other district provider
communication devices or platforms
shall be used when communicating electronically with students.
Is there a way to make sure that it is only
district approved or district provided?
So at the beginning of every year,
staff members have to fill out a form
that that tells or that where they state
how they're planning to communicate with students or teams.
And that has to be approved by by the building principal.
And this is
where it addresses about social media.
Correct.
You're not connecting with students on social media.
That that would take that into account.
Lindsey So if if the teacher doesn't say that they're planning to use Facebook or
TikTok or I don't know what else is out there
and you know, Instagram, Snapchat, you know,
that they would not necessarily be authorized to do that.
If I'm a building principal and someone's using some of those methods,
I'd probably want a little bit more information on what's your plan.
Right.
Well, and just because it's not district provided there's no assurance of access.
Correct?
Yeah.
All right.
Are there any other comments or questions?
Can I have a motion
to move policy 824 to the school board for approval?
So move by John Abel. Second
to Abel Mastro.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor say I.
I oppose.
All right. The motion carries.
Next is policy nine zero for public attendance at school events.
Yes. This once again as a result of the pandemic.
Talk about health and safety plan and then limiting attendance
to our facilities.
Anybody have any questions, comments
or is it
is this pretty generic?
Just because I understand that there are measures currently
going to the state legislature that could be that the governor's vetoing
that could have an override by the General Assembly?
Yeah, that would change this. Yeah.
So this gives us the authority to to to limit.
So even if the state doesn't limit, we can still limit.
All right.
So I think what you're saying is to increase
we certainly as a district most likely will increase, but this gives us
the authority to, let's say everyone's allowed to come back.
And as a community, we're not fine with everyone coming back.
This gives us the ability to to to limit attendance.
That's how I'm reading it.
Maybe I'm.
I just want to make sure, like the timing of the policy, like once
it goes into to the board and goes to 30 day.
That it might be the.
Law if things change in that time
that we don't have to wait and then start the clock over.
So we don't necessarily need to because I believe in our athletics
health and safety plan, we we do have it limited right now.
So we would have to do a modification and get board
approval to increase capacity anyways.
Okay.
All right.
Good.
Any further discussion comments
and have a motion to move nine oh for the full board.
So move John Abel.
Second wanted your right.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor say I I any opposed motion carries
and the last revised policy is policy 907 School visitors.
Same is
everything else in there and I'm laughing not to make fun of it, but it's just
I feel it once again like a broken record.
This is just designed to limit access to our buildings
and protect the health and safety of our our community, our school community.
Which is what we've been doing since the pandemic began, correct?
Yeah.
Motion to approve.
When did you.
I just had a quick for medical thing.
There was
and needs to come out under guidelines
where it says
to be worn while on school property
and it says and sign out at the conclusion of the visit and be informed of.
I thought that and was redundant before so now.
Okay.
Thank you.
Okay. We have a motion by Ms.. True.
Any second.
Second by John Abel.
Abel, Is there any further discussion or comments?
All right.
All those in favor say I. I oppose.
All right, Motion carries.
We have several new policies.
As you can see,
and we will get to those
hopefully at the next meeting.
So being that it's 559,
we have no public with us today.
And just to note that those new policies are
mostly optional.
Do we have to approve the telework policy?
Mr. SNYDER Yeah.
You know. I was I just pulled that one up.
That probably won't be a if everyone had a chance to read it,
it wouldn't be a bad idea to improve that because I am authorizing some people to
to telework currently based on specific situations.
Did everybody have a chance to read through those?
Yeah. All right. So anybody have any
comments on it
that seem pretty straightforward and relevant and needed
so with that being said, can I have a motion then to move
policy, new policy three or 9.1 telework to the full board.
So the second Mr. Abel
drew any further discussion?
All those in favor say I i any oppose
the motion carries and just any other.
I'm sorry.
I was just going to ask if the 252 or 317 related to Title
nine were time sensitive.
No, no, they can wait.
The other thing that we want to keep in mind is when the last time
that we approved our nondiscrimination policies, we also decided to.
Keep to 40.
Eight and 348, which were discriminatory harassment
that the more that we change them.
So we'll have to also take a look at those policies.
Now, last time SBA recommended that we eliminate those policies.
So any changes we make now have to be reflected in those policies.
But SBA's no longer keeping up with 248 and 348.
So my recommendation at this point in time is once
those other ones are approved, that we do eliminate 248 and 348.
Okay.
Can we put that on the agenda for next week. Yeah.
Time to eliminate those.
I think they're the right numbers now.
You're right.
Okay.
And then everything else, we can wait.
The other new policies can wait for the next meeting in November.
I believe so.
All right.
Without further ado, our next meeting
will be on November 9th at 5 p.m.
and the district office
and we will adjourn at 602.
I need a motion.
I don't need a motion to.