Harper Creek board adopts wide-ranging policy updates, adds lice/bed-bug exclusion and expands concussion requirements

The Harper Creek Board of Education on Aug. 11 approved a package of policy updates reviewed by the district’s policy committee that administrators said align district procedures with recent legal and federal requirements and add new public-health and parental-notification measures.

The updates passed unanimously. Board president Best called for the motion and the board voted 7–0 to adopt the policies as presented.

Administrators said key changes include: a new requirement to distribute guidance to families about safe storage of firearms; broadened Title I parent- and family-engagement procedures; updated references to the state earned-sick-time rules (formerly referenced as the Michigan Paid Medical Leave Act); revised discipline/termination language to explicitly cover extracurricular positions (including athletic coaches); a strengthened data-breach response procedure; and updated Title IX contact information.

Superintendent Jim Ridgeway described two of the more operational changes the district will implement immediately. He said the policy addition on lice and nits gives schools authority to require a school-conducted head examination for readmission when parents decline consent. "Without this, we wouldn't be checking kids for head lice, and we think it's a good idea that we do that," Ridgeway said. The policy also allows a student to be excluded until a parent confirms successful treatment for an infestation of bed bugs.

Ridgeway said a second change expands concussion-awareness procedures. Concussion forms and education that historically applied to athletics will now be required for physical-education courses districtwide. Administrators said the district has added the Centers for Disease Control educational materials the Michigan High School Athlete (MHSA) protocols use and will require parents to sign the concussion information; staff will retain those forms for the multi-year period required by district practice and state guidance.

The policy package also implements a process the district must follow after a recent Supreme Court ruling identified in the meeting as Mohammed v. Taylor (board packet reference). Under the update, parents may submit a formal opt-out request for instructional materials; the district must process the form through an established review procedure. Ridgeway told the board the recommended approach is to have the building principal initially review the complaint and then, if needed, escalate to a superintendent-level review or an advisory committee, mirroring earlier local practice while meeting the court's procedural requirements.

Board members asked for clarity on administrative roles in book-review cases. Ridgeway said he would adopt an advisory review committee when he handles library-book challenges directly, rather than making an unilateral decision.

The board-approved motion: "Approve the Tru(n)/Troon policy updates dated 06/11/2025 and 07/25/2025 and the update to policy 5709 (lice, nits, and bed bugs) as reviewed by the policy committee." The board passed the motion 7–0.

Ending: Administration said it will share revised parent communications and updated forms with principals and post policy guidance on the district website. The district's policy packet submitted to the board lists the specific policy numbers amended and will be published with the meeting minutes.