The Liberty Elementary District Governing Board voted 5-0 on June 7 to approve Trust Policy Chapter 4, which the board said will take effect July 1, 2025. The board adopted three specific edits requested during the meeting: renumbering policy numbers on page 1, removing an extraneous word on page 4 (paragraph c), and adding a sentence on page 66 authorizing the board to determine sick-leave payouts when an employee resigns in lieu of contract nonrenewal.

The approval followed about an hour of discussion focused on three issues members raised during the chapter read: (1) wording and numbering corrections; (2) a clause that could restrict the presence of people with weapons on district property; and (3) whether employees who are not rehired (nonrenewal) should be eligible for sick-leave payout. Presenter Amy Castellanos, a district staff member who led the policy review, summarized changes and answered technical questions from board members and staff.

Board member Kelly Zimmerman objected to a provision in the draft that would bar employees from possessing weapons on district property, saying she was “still not comfortable with somebody an employee possessing a weapon.” Zimmerman said she worried the language would block any district option to use private security or to recognize certain legally authorized officers who might be present as substitutes or contractors.

Vice President Kenyon argued the district should preserve an option to authorize certain people to carry weapons when necessary, saying, “We live in a day and age where you cannot stop something crazy from happening, but you can limit the damage if you’re able to intervene quickly.” Kenyon and other members described proposals from local law enforcement and recent safety training as background for the caution.

Castellanos emphasized that the trust-drafted policy was not intended to permit teachers or other classroom staff to carry firearms. “Nowhere was there ever an intent with this policy to allow teachers or, teachers’ aids or secretaries, administrators to carry weapons,” she said, adding that the policy’s goal was to ensure the district knows when legally authorized individuals bring weapons on campus and to preserve the option of private security or district-contracted school safety officers.

On sick-leave payout, Zimmerman pressed to remove the phrase “nonrenewal of employment” from the disqualification list for the payout. She argued administrators sometimes are told they will not be renewed and then resign, and that nonrenewal used as a substitute for termination should not automatically bar a payout if statute otherwise allows it. Castellanos and other staff noted the policy must align with statute and suggested adding a sentence giving the board authority to determine sick-leave payout in cases where an employee resigns in lieu of nonrenewal; the motion approved those edits.

Motion and vote: The board recorded a motion to approve Chapter 4 as read with the three amendments noted above; the roll call was Schmidt — aye; Zimmerman — aye; Kenyon — aye; Cerencioni — aye; President Michael Todd — aye. The motion passed 5-0.

Next steps: Staff will renumber the policies and insert the board-determination sentence on page 66 before publishing Chapter 4 as effective July 1, 2025. No other substantive deletions (for example, removal of the weapons-related clause) were made during the motion.

Speakers credited in this report include Amy Castellanos (presenter/staff), Dr. Mahorn (staff member), President Michael Todd, Vice President Kenyon, Board member Kelly Zimmerman, Board member Schmidt and Board member Cerencioni.