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).
By Gerry Kaufman
The ASBSD Policy Committee has approved a new sample policy and amended six ASBSD sample policies.
ASBSD’s new sample policy is JFGA: Law Enforcement and Department of Social Services Student Interview Policy, which recognizes the different roles and responsibilities of law enforcement, Department of Social Services, the school and parents.
The new policy addresses when law enforcement officers – including school resource officers employed by the police department or sheriff’s office – wish to question students at school about criminal conduct, and when law enforcement and DSS wish to talk to a student as part of a child abuse investigation.
“It is very important for the school to work with law enforcement and DSS when it comes to law enforcement and DSS questioning students at school,” ASBSD Director of Policy and Legal Services Gerry Kaufman said, adding
“Schools also should talk with law enforcement about this proposed policy so they are on the same page when it comes to law enforcement questioning students at school.
ASBSD’s amended sample policy IGA: Basic Instructional Program, now incorporates into the policy that CPR training is part of the basic instructional program.
Next, sample policy IGBA was renamed: Special Education and Related Services, and amended to include a section related to out-of-district placements.
Another amended policy, JECB: Open Enrollment, now contains a provision that specifically addresses a nonresident student returning to the student’s resident district at the conclusion of the school year.
Sample policy JEDB was renamed: Student Dismissal. The amended policy now includes a provision that relates to a staff member releasing a student to an authorized person after an out-of-district activity and without the student being required to return to the school with other students.
A final sample policy name change was made to JEG: Exemptions from School Attendance. The newly amended policy identifies and explains the various statutory reasons a student may be exempted from attendance statutes and policies.
Sample policies JFC: Student Conduct and JFCC: Student Conduct on School Buses were also amended.
JFC: Student Conduct, added a number of examples of conduct which could result in discipline, and JFCC: Student Conduct on School Buses sample policy now incorporates the conduct referenced in sample policy JFC, and adds a provision expressly giving principals the authority to suspend a student from riding the bus for up to 10 days for inappropriate conduct.
Note: For ASBSD member schools who are Online Policy Services subscribers and you’ve adopted any of the renamed policies (IGBA, JEDB and JEG), the title changes will be automatically made.
For questions related to the policies, contact Kaufman at gkaufman@asbsd.org or at 605-350-1102.
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.
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.