Kensington board adopts several policy revisions; Title IX reverted to prior regulations

The Kensington School District board voted to adopt six policies and withdraw five others after a policy committee update that included a Title IX regulatory update and plans for a new multicultural calendar.

Policy committee member Heather provided the update, saying the district is reverting to earlier Title IX regulations after a court in Kentucky invalidated the regulatory changes the district had been preparing to follow. "The regulations ... were shot down in, in court, in Kentucky," Heather said, and the district is returning to the previous Title IX policy with only limited updates for current practices. Heather said she and staff member Renee are available to answer questions about the revised packet.

The board approved the adoption of policies IHAM, IGE, IMDA, ACD, EBCD and ICAC. The board also approved the withdrawal of policies IKF, ACD R, ICA, ILB and AA. A board member moved to adopt the listed policies and withdraw the others; a second was given and the board passed the motion by voice vote (all present answered "Aye"). The motion to adopt and withdraw the listed policies was recorded as approved.

Heather told the board that the packet shows Title IX as the most substantial change and that other policy edits in the packet are relatively short. She said the district is showing the updated Title IX text as a new policy in the packet because the earlier track-changes version would have been difficult to read given the extent of the edits.

Board members also discussed replacement of the district's previous "special observance days" list with a multicultural calendar that the district's Chief Equity Officer is developing with statewide partners. Heather said the multicultural calendar will not require school-board adoption but that Renee will bring a draft calendar forward so the board can see it. Heather and Renee described the prior list of observances as limited — it listed "just 4 or 5 holidays" — and said the multicultural calendar aims to better represent the student population. The board noted that the policy title change to "religious neutrality" is largely a retitling rather than a substantive change to the policy's basic concept.

Board members who asked about the policy committee meeting were told that the committee completed its work quickly; Heather relayed that the committee finished its review in less than an hour and that any specific discussion points were summarized in the meeting materials. One board member asked if there were focal points of discussion; Heather said committee members submitted follow-up questions and that the summary includes items of emphasis.

The board also agreed to move on to other agenda items after approving the policies.

Votes at a glance: the motion to adopt IHAM, IGE, IMDA, ACD, EBCD and ICAC and to withdraw IKF, ACD R, ICA, ILB and AA was made, seconded and approved by voice vote with all present responding "Aye." The minutes record the approval but do not list individual roll-call vote counts.

Ending: The board's approval puts the listed policies into effect as revised and removes the specified policies from the district policy manual; the multicultural calendar will be circulated later by the Chief Equity Officer for the board's review.