Yankton School District approves criminal background check and library materials policies; elementary boundaries and HB1259 changes get first read

At a school board meeting, the Yankton School District 63-3 Board of Education approved updates to its criminal background check policy and its library materials and school resources policy, and held first readings on revised elementary attendance boundaries following the closure of Webster Elementary School and a new policy to implement House Bill 1259's requirements for multi‑occupancy restrooms and changing areas.

The approvals were made by motion and roll-call vote. Board members moved and seconded both policies; the board president called for roll-call votes that the clerk recorded as affirmative votes for the two policies. The elementary-boundary changes and the single/multi‑occupancy‑room policy were presented as first reads and will return to the board for final action at a future meeting.

The elementary boundaries item reflects the district's reassignment of students after Webster Elementary closed. Dr. Kendall said the Webster attendance area is now “unassigned” and that families in that zone may request open enrollment to other elementary schools in the district. He said administrators used class size as the primary criterion when considering transfer requests and that only a small number of families requested transfers after the closure. “Those families are now all settled in over at Seward Elementary School,” Dr. Kendall said.

On House Bill 1259, the board received a staff explanation of the state law and its operational effect on district facilities. Paul, a district staff member who presented the item, summarized the statute: “The legislation defines male and female in objective physical genetic terms, and requires that students not willing to use a room designated for their sex be given a single‑person room by request,” and that the requirement applies to restrooms, changing areas and sleeping quarters used during events or travel. Dr. Kendall said district facilities already contain non‑designated single‑user restrooms and that implementing the statute would be straightforward. “We've never had an issue in the Yankton School District,” Dr. Kendall said, adding that district staff can make the necessary signage and room designations.

Board members framed the boundary and HB1259 items as procedural first reads. The board asked questions and heard clarifications from staff but took no final votes on those two items. The board president noted that the elementary boundaries policy will be brought back next month for possible adoption.

The district updated some outdated language in its policies as part of the review; staff said one map reference and a street name in the prior language had been obsolete and were removed.

Votes at a glance: two policies were approved by roll-call vote during the meeting — the criminal background check policy and the library materials and school resources policy. Two other policies (elementary boundaries following Webster’s closure and the single/multi‑occupancy room policy to address House Bill 1259) were presented as first reads and will return to the board for action.

The board’s action follows a recent state legislative session that produced multiple changes affecting school policy, and administrators told the board they will return with any additional operational details needed to implement the new rules.