Board approves handbooks, Centerstone MOU and middle-school Washington trip

The New Castle Community School Board of Trustees unanimously approved several student handbooks, a memorandum of understanding with Centerstone and a middle-school trip during the July 14 meeting. The board approved the New Castle Community School at Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy Handbook with one edit requested by the academy director; the minutes note "One edit was added to the handbook, the Director has Changed." The board also approved the New Castle Virtual Academy handbooks for K-5 and grades 6-12, and approved revised middle-school and high-school handbooks. Each motion carried 4-0. Separately, the board approved a Centerstone Memorandum of Understanding. Centerstone is a community behavioral health organization; the minutes record the board moved and seconded the MOU approval with a 4-0 vote. The board also approved an NCMS (New Castle Middle School) trip to Washington, D.C., by unanimous vote. Why it matters: handbook approvals set student conduct, academic and operational rules for the coming year; the Centerstone MOU signals a formal partnership for behavioral-health services or supports, and the middle-school trip is an extracurricular travel authorization. Details and limitations: the minutes do not reproduce handbook text, MOU terms, or the trip itinerary, participant counts, supervision plan or costs. The Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy handbook approval references a single edit requested by the director but the minutes do not specify the edit's substance. Board members made the motions and seconds for each item and recorded unanimous approval.