The Gadsden Independent School District Board approved a set of policy updates covering emergency response planning, instructional goals emphasizing the science of reading, student cell-phone restrictions during instructional time, installation of automatic external defibrillators in gyms and water-safety guidance, and separately adopted a student‑transportation policy (EEA), the board said during its meeting.

Board members and staff said the emergency-policy update implements a statutory change requiring planned and trained cardiac emergency response procedures for campuses. Superintendent Dempsey presented the package and recommended keeping the current, stricter cell‑phone approach at secondary schools: “no phones during instructional time,” he said, noting principals reported consistent implementation across campuses. He also said each gymnasium would be fitted with a defibrillator across the board.

The policy set classified the district’s reading goals to align with the state’s shift toward structured literacy and the science of reading; board and staff said the change is intended to ensure staff receive training on those methods. The water‑safety advisory adds guidance for families about swimming safety and cautions that river and ditch banks are dangerous for students.

On student transportation (policy EEA), board members said this was the second reading of a policy that fills a gap in the manual and establishes clear guidance for district practice. The board approved the policy after discussion and without substantive amendments.

The board voted to adopt the policy advisories (265–269) and to approve policy EEA by voice votes. Board members who moved the motions included Miss Ferguson for the policy advisories and Miss Rodriguez for the transportation policy; both motions carried.

The board did not adopt further substantive amendments at the meeting. Staff said they will incorporate the approved language into handbooks and administrative procedures and return with any implementation steps or training timelines for board review.

Board members and the superintendent emphasized consistency of enforcement and additional staff training as immediate next steps; no additional budget allocations were approved during the vote.

The board will monitor implementation and return to the board if additional changes are proposed.