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Board discusses volunteer vs. chaperone rules, employee social‑media policy and campus badge controls
Summary
Board members and staff debated policy revisions to distinguish volunteers from chaperones, tighten employee conduct and communications rules, and strengthen badge/access controls for campus safety.
The board heard an extended policy overview covering three related areas: chapter‑4 volunteer/chaperone rules, chapter‑6 employee conduct and social‑media guidance, and campus badge and visitor‑access controls addressed in chapter‑9 updates.
Staff and general counsel explained the key distinction the district plans to enshrine: volunteers who operate under the direct supervision and within sight of a school employee (for example, helping in a cafeteria or media center) are treated differently from chaperones who will be alone with students during an activity (for example, leading a group on an overnight trip). Staff advised the board that fingerprinting is recommended for adults who will be alone with students even though state law uses permissive language; staff framed the choice as balancing safety and access and noted that adopting stricter local rules would impose operational and fiscal impacts on schools.
Members also discussed employee conduct and digital communications policy language. Staff proposed that district‑approved communication tools be used for teacher‑to‑student and teacher‑to‑parent messaging; the new platform referenced in the meeting—Thrillshare—has been rolled out and will capture communications, staff said. A technology staff member explained the district’s timeline to extend the approved tool to school staff and the need to manage non‑faculty coaches and community volunteers who may not yet have district accounts.
On badges, staff said student and staff badges are deactivated promptly when a person leaves the system and that the district is exploring additional entry‑control measures (card swipes or upgraded badges) but that full technical integration and districtwide implementation would be time‑consuming and costly. Board members asked whether misuse (e.g., one student using another’s badge) could be flagged; staff said current systems can inactivate badges and that additional alerts or tap‑in systems are possible but require procurement and technology work.
Staff indicated that policy language will be revised to underscore student safety as a primary purpose and to add procedural clarity (e.g., badge color coding to denote volunteer level). The transcript records policy discussion and direction but does not include a final policy adoption vote in the provided excerpt.
