Committee recommends first readings and renumbering for special education, discipline and safety policies
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Summary
The committee recommended first readings for a package of policy updates that reorganize special education policy, add discipline guidance for students with disabilities, renumber club sports and create Student Assistance and Threat Assessment policies.
The committee reviewed a package of six board‑policy actions and recommended that staff move them to first reading at the February legislative meeting.
Key recommendations: - Retire policy 113.1 (Child Find) and adopt a comprehensive policy 113 (Special Education) using the PSBA template. Committee members said the single, updated special education policy consolidates Child Find and other special education procedures, including how the district may participate in regional services (for example, intermediate unit programming) and how the district handles students placed in the district by other districts (the Believe program is referenced in the special education plan). - Introduce policy 113.1 (new) titled Discipline for Students with Disabilities to clarify procedures for disciplining students who have individualized education programs; the policy complements recently adopted behavior‑support policy 113.2 and is recommended for legal/liability clarity. - Renumber existing policy 236 (Club Sports) to 123.3 so it sits within the student programming numbering scheme and is consistent with PSBA numbering guidance. - Adopt a new policy (renumbered as needed) on Student Assistance Programs describing MTSS‑aligned team processes to identify early obstacles to learning and describe training expectations for team members. - Adopt a new Threat Assessment policy (policy 236.1 in the recommended draft) detailing threat assessment team membership, procedures, training and an annual reporting function to the board as part of safety and security reporting.
Why it matters: Committee members said the package updates citations, clarifies responsibilities for special education and discipline, and addresses legal exposure related to threat assessment and behavior support. Staff said the policies follow PSBA templates and district procedures.
Next steps: The committee recommended all six items be moved to first reading at the legislative meeting later this month; some items may be packaged for approval as a group. Sean Burns, Director of People Services, reviewed the drafts with administrators and staff prior to the meeting.
Ending: Committee members asked clarifying questions about policy numbering, program partnerships with intermediate units, and the annual reporting requirement for threat assessments; no formal votes were recorded at the committee level.
