Bemidji School Board rescinds outdated 'Assurance of Mastery' and copyright policies

At its March 17 meeting, the Bemidji Public School District 31 School Board voted to rescind several outdated policies after staff advised that state law and district policy consolidation had made them obsolete.

Colleen, a district staff member presenting the item, told the board: "Tonight we are recommending that the following policies be rescinded 4 thirty-six Assurance of Mastery. State statute pertaining to this policy has been rescinded." She added that the administrative procedures connected to Assurance of Mastery also must go because the underlying statute no longer applies.

Colleen also recommended rescinding "440-1 copyright protection," saying that copyright matters are now covered under the district's technology/internet policy (identified in the meeting as "SBR 650-1 MSP a 5 24") and noted the older policy contained obsolete references such as VCRs. "In this situation that policy was extremely old; it talked about VCRs and things that don't even exist anymore," she said.

A board member moved to rescind the listed policies and another board member seconded; the motion passed unanimously without further discussion. The board did not propose replacement language at the March 17 meeting; staff said the district's internet/technology policy covers copyright issues and that the Assurance of Mastery requirement had been removed at the state level.

The action removes district references to the retired statutory requirement and consolidates copyright guidance under current technology policies, according to the staff presentation. The board did not solicit public comment on the rescission during the meeting.