Superintendent Dr. Yanders presented a final draft of the School City of East Chicago student handbook at the July 17 work session and asked trustees to approve making it available to families electronically and in print. Trustees provided detailed editorial and policy feedback and directed staff to incorporate cross‑references to board policy, clarify attendance/truancy language to align with Indiana Department of Education guidance, and make the scope of disciplinary consequences clearer.

Why it matters: the handbook is the district’s primary communication of enrollment rules, attendance and conduct expectations to families. Trustees emphasized that policy cross‑references and clear, standardized descriptions of consequences reduce confusion for parents and protect the district when policies change.

Major board requests and clarifications: Trustee Rodriguez recommended adding board policy numbers or footnote references next to handbook sections (for example, tardiness, enrollment and technology) so readers can locate the formal board policy. Trustees discussed recent Indiana attendance/truancy changes and asked staff to ensure the handbook’s codes match Indiana Department of Education guidance. Several trustees asked that consequences such as property theft be stated in mandatory language rather than optional language; staff explained that some phrasing is intentionally discretionary to accommodate special‑education procedures and federal requirements (for example, manifest determination reviews for students with IEPs).

Discipline: Trustees asked staff to add "in‑school solutions" explicitly into the scope of potential consequences and to standardize the boxes in the handbook so fonts and presentation are consistent. Staff explained that "In‑School Solutions" is intended as a staffed instructional placement (licensed teacher plus paraprofessional) so students continue receiving instruction and credit, whereas "in‑school suspension" historically lacked a licensed teacher and did not provide the same instructional credit.

Distribution and updates: trustees suggested multiple communications channels for policy changes — the district website ribbon, email to parents, robocalls, and mailed 3‑hole‑punched supplements or addenda for families who receive printed handbooks. Staff agreed to provide Spanish translations and some printed copies for families without online access. The board did not vote; staff will revise the draft and return it for further review.

The article uses direct quotes and attributions only to speakers identified on the record during the July 17 work session.