Spearfish School Board proposes significant updates to handbooks for 2025-2026 school year

The Spearfish School District Board convened on April 14, 2025, to discuss several key agenda items, including potential changes to activity ticket pricing and updates to student handbooks for the upcoming school year.

The meeting began with a discussion on the pricing structure for activity tickets. Board members expressed the need to consider increasing ticket prices, noting that it has been nearly a decade since the last adjustment. The discussion highlighted the importance of understanding the implications of cashless transactions and surcharging practices, particularly regarding debit card payments. The board agreed to revisit this topic in the May meeting, emphasizing the need for timely decisions to facilitate planning for the next school year.

Following this, the board moved on to the first reading of proposed changes to the handbooks for the 2025-2026 school year. The updates aim to enhance accessibility and clarity for parents and students. Notable changes include the transition of the handbook format to a more user-friendly Google Doc, which will feature a hyperlink table of contents for easier navigation. The board also discussed various policy updates, including clarifications on illness policies, emergency communication procedures, and the removal of outdated language regarding food notifications.

In addition, the board addressed changes to the character education program, opting to align it with the district's existing Spartan Pride model rather than continuing with the older Character Counts program. The updates also included adjustments to the illness policy, particularly regarding fever guidelines, and the handling of lice cases, which will now require parental consent for treatment by school nurses.

The middle and high school handbooks were also reviewed, with discussions on electronic device policies and grading scales. The high school plans to implement a new grading scale that simplifies the current system while ensuring differentiation among student performance. Additionally, new requirements for graduation were introduced, mandating that seniors must attend Spearfish High School for their entire senior year to receive a diploma.

Overall, the meeting underscored the board's commitment to improving student and parent engagement through clearer policies and updated practices. The next steps include further discussions on ticket pricing and finalizing the handbook updates in subsequent meetings.