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Board reviews first reading of 2025–26 handbook updates including illness rules, grading and cell-phone limits
Summary
Spearfish School District 40-2 trustees reviewed first-reading handbook updates for 2025–26 that include formatting changes, illness guidance aligning with administrative rule 5305A, revised grading scales at the high school, cell-phone restrictions and updated animal/food policies; the changes were informational and part of the first reading.
At the April 14 meeting, district administrators presented the first reading of handbook updates for 2025–26 covering district-, elementary-, middle- and high-school handbooks.
Administrators said most changes are clerical or formatting improvements to make handbooks more accessible online (searchable Google Doc and hyperlinks). They also proposed content updates tailored to each level: elementary changes on pets and electronic devices; middle-school clarifications on cell-phone handling and Spartan Learning Lab terminology; and several high-school changes including a revised grading scale, clarified graduation requirements and limits on senior-year diploma eligibility.
On health and illness policy, administrators said they incorporated language from administrative rule 5305A (Department of Health guidance) to clarify when students with fever should be sent home and recommended staying home without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours. They said lice procedures were moved to a separate section and that references to specific proprietary communication tools were struck and replaced with "district communication tools and resources," noting School Messenger may be included.
The high-school handbook proposals included a modest change to the grading scale (e.g., adjusting an A cut score from 96 to 95), added graduation-path charts describing advanced endorsement and honors requirements, and a new provision that seniors must attend Spearfish High School for the entirety of senior year to receive a Spearfish diploma. Administrators also recommended making cell-phone restrictions explicit for hallways during instructional time and clarifying student parking rules.
The board did not vote on handbook adoption; this was a first reading. Administrators asked the board to review the proposed changes; additional technical edits (staff names, updated links) will be made prior to a future final reading and adoption vote.
Why it matters: Handbook language governs daily expectations, illness response and graduation requirements for students and families; aligning illness guidance with state administrative rules provides clearer operational direction for nurses and staff.
Next steps: District staff will finalize clerical edits and return the handbooks for a subsequent reading and formal adoption vote.
