The school board during a policy-review meeting agreed to add narrow language to the district's student tobacco and nicotine policy to allow limited ceremonial uses tied to tribal cultural practices, and to require administrative review and consultation with tribal representatives before any exception is allowed.
Why it matters: Board members said the change would preserve a specific cultural accommodation without broadly altering the district's tobacco rules for students.
Board members discussed that the proposed wording would not mandate any accommodation but would permit administrators, on a case-by-case basis, to authorize an exception when the use is ceremonial and culturally significant to a recognized tribal group. Members said the policy should direct administrators to "consult with appropriate community representatives" including tribal representatives when considering an exception. Several members noted that state athletic and school rules (for example, WIAA and applicable state law) would still apply to students participating in sports or other regulated activities.
Board member comments emphasized caution: one member said they did not expect such situations to occur locally but felt it was reasonable to leave an allowance in place in case a ceremonial use arose; another asked that the language remain narrow to avoid creating unintended or broader permissions for non-Native students or nonceremonial uses. The board agreed to include the ceremonial-exception component as discussed, with administrative review and tribal consultation required.
Meeting context and next steps: The discussion was held while the board reviewed the policy series; members asked staff to bring back the revised text for final review. No formal vote was recorded during this meeting; the action recorded was the board's direction to include the language and return the draft policy for a subsequent review.