[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6454457,"mediaKeyId","5860799-1fdcc5539e3471b6842707601d98c372","parentId",5860799,"title","Policy committee recommends updates to gifts, property and copyright policies for board review","audioSeconds",482,"startMs",1936000,"endMs",2418000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5860799-1fdcc5539e3471b6842707601d98c372&start=1936&end=2418","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5860799-1fdcc5539e3471b6842707601d98c372/thumbnail_1936000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6454457/Pennsylvania/Policy-committee-recommends-updates-to-gifts-property-and-copyright-policies-for-board-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454457-0aa590cc71447b7d67f96d8d257d2dbb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771122739&Signature=Z2gvOCHhpGw7XgR6kchUVSqRANYF6qL3mSbjvdrfC5ju3ma9UeWLH5MIR0e435ZbAaBYBVgHiDQlJwWEWSLA9jMeMl3xcIMk6aNxTGiDWndPFuFzdrcY5BDERQ~4PFRoICImiX5Nk8NnpJ6dCFsoKVCZ60PmMrRUhJV0BtfKFOCzOK6FZbkccvQjxiBL9HcF-L3G4IJpuNI0dBhifmByeMvj10iKEpRTvmDrPZlEcu4Wkfsi59iDw9qrNSmQAE67HCYG-Vz1UzQC-4gkJfFELX7VwhLxPuBEhpp-D-tMai8qddTSyXB8Pjo2~k8TwaG4ilZQtWUg9guEVmJHvq2dqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kennett Consolidated School District","date","2025-09-30T12:08:02Z","article","The Kennett Consolidated School District policy committee unanimously recommended three revised policies to the full board on Sept. 29, advancing updates on district acceptance of gifts and donor intent (Policy 702), inventory and property records management (Policy 706), and the district's copyright rules for staff and students (Policy 814).

The recommendations came after discussion and small amendments to the drafts. Committee chair Ethan Kramer called the meeting to order and turned Policy 702 over to the district's superintendent for introduction. Kimberly Russo Saunders said the administration was revising policies last updated decades ago and that subject-matter experts would attend future meetings.

Why it matters: The three policies touch routine but important operational areas: how the district accepts and manages donations and naming-rights questions (702); how physical assets and warranties are cataloged and reported for insurance and accounting (706); and how the district treats copyright and fair-use responsibilities for staff and students (814). Committee members asked for clearer language about donor intent, record-keeping expectations, warranties and how the district will handle potential staff liability for copyright infringement.

Policy 702 (gifts, grants, donations)
Mark Tracy, identified by the superintendent as the district's chief financial officer, described the draft as \"short\" and procedural, noting that donors set monetary values for tax purposes and that the district assesses donated items for educational or operational value. Committee member Lynn Golden Meraki asked about the clause that the board \"shall be responsible for the maintenance of any gift it accepts unless otherwise stipulated,\" seeking clarity about whether the district or the board should be referenced when discussing endorsement or naming rights. Tracy agreed to revise language for clarity.

A central focus of discussion was donor intent. Multiple committee members urged that the policy make explicit that administrators will \"make every effort\" to honor donor intent while avoiding language that could create a legally enforceable promise. Latoya Myers moved to recommend Policy 702 to the board with a change to the donor-intent clause to add that the district will \"understand\" or \"discuss\" donor intent up front; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Policy 706 (property records)
Tracy summarized proposed additions that clarify which property records the district maintains (deeds, vehicle titles, easements, lease agreements) and described the district's contract with AssetWorks for asset inventory, tagging and valuation. He said AssetWorks performs physical inventories every three years, updates replacement values tied to insurance renewals, and that depreciation schedules are used to classify assets (e.g., buildings 25 years, computers typically four years).

Committee members asked whether warranties should be explicitly listed and how \"major loss\" would be defined. Tracy said the district does catalog warranties (roof, building systems) and that a \"major loss\" would be one subject to an insurance claim; those would be reported to the board. Myers moved to recommend Policy 706 to the board with an amendment to add warranty information to the records section; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Policy 814 (copyright materials)
Assistant Superintendent Michael Barber presented the revised copyright policy, noting the draft modernizes an earlier 1983 policy and adds a staff-responsibility statement that employees \"may be held personally liable for copyright infringement\" if they fail to adhere to the policy. Barber said the language follows recommended wording from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

Board member Michael Finnegan asked how the district would decide whether to request permission from an author or rely on fair use for classroom copies. Barber explained the escalation: building principals would be the first check, then teaching-and-learning leadership and the assistant superintendents. He said fair use in education allows single copies for classroom use but larger republication would trigger further review. The committee discussed that the draft is intentionally concise to allow administration to develop administrative regulations and curriculum guidance for practice.

Myers moved to recommend Policy 814 to the board; the superintendent seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance
- Policy 702 (Gifts, grants, donations): Motion to recommend to the board with donor-intent language revised to require a documented discussion/\"understanding\" with donors. Mover: Latoya Myers; Second: Lynn Golden Meraki. Committee vote: unanimous (members present recorded as voting in favor). Outcome: recommended to board.
- Policy 706 (Property records): Motion to recommend to the board with an amendment to add warranty documentation to the list of property records. Mover: Latoya Myers; Second: Lynn Golden Meraki. Committee vote: unanimous. Outcome: recommended to board.
- Policy 814 (Copyright materials): Motion to recommend to the board as revised, following PSBA language and directing administration to develop procedures. Mover: Latoya Myers; Second: Kimberly Russo Saunders. Committee vote: unanimous. Outcome: recommended to board.

What the committee asked next: Members requested that administrators prepare clearer administrative regulations and guidance to implement the policies (for example, standard procedures for documenting donor conversations, thresholds that trigger an insurance claim report to the board, and the internal process for copyright clearance). Kramer said the committee will return to broader policy topics, including school resource officer (SRO) pilots, in future meetings.

The committee adjourned after completing the policy business and forwarding the three revised policies to the full board for consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 29, 2025 - Policy and Curriculum Committee Meetings","oneSentenceSummary","The Kennett Consolidated School District policy committee voted unanimously to recommend three revised policies — 702 (gifts, grants and donations), 706 (property records) and 814 (copyright materials) — to the full board, with minor amendments and staff follow-up requested.","taxTitle","Kennett Consolidated SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania","taxId",78434,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6454452,"Kennett schools outline K'12 curriculum-mapping plan, pilot Atlas platform and public-facing timelines",2318,2841000,5159000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5860799-1fdcc5539e3471b6842707601d98c372&start=2841&end=5159","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5860799-1fdcc5539e3471b6842707601d98c372/thumbnail_2841000.jpg","/articles/6454452/Pennsylvania/Kennett-schools-outline-K12-curriculum-mapping-plan-pilot-Atlas-platform-and-public-facing-timelines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454452-592dc4e4048eda384ffc4f2a5f1db1fe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771122739&Signature=o0pJDYPyluZDLN2oP1jeqs0-FcGyn-bXFvSHTe9bhyv5NpAYy8u5ZqP3Drqjb4vXDJnhXdeP-kEvqjJz-kGrIGcIkwqKdbb-m0YDL35c~iTMya~2GHqlaQmd2LQnlm1qKRZB1QbOKa~bUGWLHBxHyy-QiKqqq0ouvSqzV6T9tsNE8b0P3g~zb1XTyk3vd3sRhGwq~SngRsRLwXEZkHqNKcVi8cUFmIekhEKZayJuUu02c9lxwkqNXphvsN9QJU~DA6cDcgF0uGFYa-8ECc~G4TvM9zX9Nra~xeFrKbnee3UlbvIAqkXmfbsW37ARq-4ggYyabDXsuTTAyvu~asEqrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kennett Consolidated School District leaders laid out a multi-year plan to build a guaranteed, viable K'12 curriculum, telling the curriculum committee on Sept. 29 that teachers will write consensus maps in phases, the district will use the Atlas curriculum platform to store and compare maps, and the first wave of maps will be presented to the board in March and May 2026.

The district said the goal is a common, equitable curriculum that guarantees consistent access to essential learning across schools and grade levels. Superintendent Kimberly Russo Saunders and members of the teaching-and-learning team described a process that began with a Portrait of a KCSD Graduate and an instructional-focus framework; it now moves into facilitated curriculum-writing groups, Atlas training and staged board reviews.

Key points and timeline
- Facilitators and teacher teams: The district trained roughly 40 facilitators over the summer; teachers are organized into approximately 41 curriculum groups involving about 300 staff members. Facilitators will guide teams through deconstructing standards, identifying enduring understandings, and distinguishing essential standards from supporting standards.
- Platform and templates: Teachers will write maps using an Atlas template the district created. The district will provide on-demand video training followed by facilitator-led, in-person sessions and ongoing support.
- Phase timeline: Phase 1 and a first set of course/grade-level maps are planned for board review in March 2026; Phase 2 maps will follow in May 2026. Maps not ready by those dates will continue through the process until complete.
- Public access: The long-term goal is to publish parts of the curriculum publicly to show unit overviews, enduring understandings and standards; the district said assessments and specific instructional resources would remain internal to protect academic integrity. Administrators said they preferred releasing a substantial set of maps at once rather than publishing them piecemeal.

Why it matters: Committee members said a clear, district-authored curriculum will make instruction more equitable across elementary, middle and high schools, reduce unintended duplication, and make expectations consistent for students and families. The work also connects directly to the district's strategic priority to ensure access to a guaranteed and viable curriculum.

What teachers will do: The process centers on backwards design. Teams will identify desired results (enduring understandings and essential standards), design assessments, and then plan instructional activities and vocabulary. Teachers are expected to label tiered vocabulary (Tier 1 mandatory terms, Tier 2/3 supplementary terms), estimate unit pacing, and attach core and supplemental resources in Atlas. The district will review unit drafts and provide feedback before moving courses forward for board review.

Cornerstone experiences and diary mapping: The teaching-and-learning team is developing K'12 \"cornerstone\" experiences to anchor the curriculum across grades (examples include community-linked projects and cross-curricular milestones). Administrators also described \"diary mapping\": teachers will note what they actually taught (how long a unit took, adjustments made) so maps remain living documents.

Training and supports: The district will provide video tutorials, in-person facilitation and additional coaching; administrators emphasized the work is collaborative and that maps are being written by Kennett teachers so the curriculum reflects local needs, not a vendor's program. The presentation reiterated that curriculum should be program-agnostic (programs like i-Ready should support the curriculum rather than dictate it).

Questions from committee members focused on timing and communication. Board members asked how the public-facing page would be rolled out and whether parents and PTOs would receive presentations; administrators said they plan to wait until a meaningful body of maps is complete and will engage PTOs and parent groups with summaries and compacts. Committee members asked for guidance on how to evaluate maps; administrators said they will walk the board through the first submitted maps and give evaluative criteria before widespread board consideration.

Next steps: The district's immediate actions include using October 2 professional development to continue map-writing, collecting scope-and-sequence drafts for teaching-and-learning review, training teachers on Atlas, and preparing the first batch of maps for the March 2026 board packet. Administrators indicated a public-facing curriculum portal is expected only after maps meet internal quality checks and sufficient breadth is available for display.

The curriculum committee scheduled its next meeting for Oct. 27, when staff will present updates on MTSS, Title funding and staffing; the committee adjourned after the presentation.

Direct quote examples from the meeting include: \"When we map curriculum, what we're doing is looking at specific subject areas, as well as cross-curricular connections to make sure that we are creating an environment...that is consistent K to 12,\" said Kimberly Russo Saunders, superintendent. Assistant curriculum staff described Atlas as a tool that lets the district \"spot gaps and overlaps\" and \"use that information to refine our instruction,\" according to the presentation.","District leaders presented a year-long curriculum-mapping plan designed to produce consensus K'12 maps in phases, train roughly 40 teacher facilitators, use Atlas as the mapping platform, and bring the first wave of maps to the board in March and May 2026, with public-facing materials to follow once maps are vetted.","actionData","errors"]

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Policy committee recommends updates to gifts, property and copyright policies for board review

Kennett schools outline K'12 curriculum-mapping plan, pilot Atlas platform and public-facing timelines