ASBSD has updated multiple policies related to the student alternative instruction (homeschool) law overhaul by the legislature during the 2021 session.

 

“The major changes are to policy IGDK: Participation of Alternative Instruction Students and JEAA: Students Alternative Instruction,” ASBSD Policy and Legal Services Director Jessica Filler said.

 

IGDK: Participation of Alternative Instruction Students

• Revisions include the changes made to homeschool participation law and how the homeschool students becomes and remains eligible to participate.

JEAA: Students Alternative Instruction

• Amendments made to this policy include the updated notification system, enrollment on a partial basis and open enrollment.

In addition, Filler suggested schools ensure they have an open enrollment policy. ASBSD’s sample policy, JECB: Open Enrollment did not change, but the changes to the last sentence of the revised sample policy JEAA: Student Alternative Instruction, does reference a school district’s open enrollment policy.

 

“Schools should have a policy related to open enrollment or consider ours for adoption,” Filler said. “We are also recommending schools disseminate codes of conduct to homeschool students and parents prior to participation in school activities.”

 

 

ASBSD sample policies JFC: Student Conduct, JFCC: Student Conduct on School Buses and JFCC-R(1): Student Conduct on School Buses (Regulation) are available for reference.

 

“Student conduct policy JFC gives examples of student conduct on grounds, buses and activities and requires copies of this policy are made available to parents and all students, either student handbooks or other means,” Filler said.

 

“Policies JFCC-Student Conduct on School Buses and JFCC-R(1) outline student conduct on school buses and JFCC-R(1) provides that parents and students will be informed of these regulations and asked to return signed forms that the regulation has been received and read.”

 

Edits to four other sample policies impacted by the alternative instruction changes in the law include:

• JEA: Compulsory Attendance Ages
• JECAA: Students Enrolling from Alternative Instruction and Unaccredited Schools
• JEE: Student Attendance Accounting
• JEG:  Exemptions from School Attendance

Finally, a cleanup based on statutory language which is not specifically related to alternative instruction has been made to the following sample policy:

• JED: Student Absences and Excuses

All of these sample policies can be found online through ASBSD’s Policy Services website.

 

For questions related to the policies, contact Filler at jfiller@asbsd.org or at 605-773-2513.

 

To access the ASBSD Policy Services website, school board members and administrators must login at http://policy.asbsd.org. Your district’s login and password information has been previously provided to your district’s administration.

 

Note: For ASBSD member schools who are Online Policy Services subscribers you may access a PDF copy of the modifications made to these policies through your school districts online policy site, simply choose the ASBSD Communications option under the Policies tab.

 

If you are not able to access the ASBSD Policy Services website, please contact your district’s administration or ASBSD Policy Services Associate Kay Thompson-Tieszen at kay@asbsd.org.

 

Policies of a school district, especially those negotiated with bargaining representatives for the protection of teachers, have the full force and effect of law, and legally bind the school district. Wessington Springs Ed. Assoc. v. Wessington Springs Sch. Dist., 467 N.W. 2d 101 (S.D. 1991).