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Board reviews extracurricular personnel rules, expands safety language to include band and drama and discusses AEDs and concussion protocols
Summary
The board reviewed updates to several extracurricular-personnel policies to clarify appointment processes and to explicitly include music, marching band and drama. Members also discussed cardiac arrest/AED availability for traveling events and whether concussion information and physicals should be required for non-athletic extracurriculars.
Board members and staff examined policy updates on appointment and employment for extracurricular activities (multiple policies including 15.20.8, 31.20.8 and 41.20.8). Stacy, a staff member, described textual edits and additions and noted that the updated draft adds creative-arts positions such as marching band and drama leaders to training and qualification language.
"It looks like they added in marching band leaders, drama," a board member observed. Staff said the same qualification and training language being applied to athletics is being extended to other extracurricular leaders because those activities can involve physical risk or require emergency response training.
The discussion moved to AED (defibrillator) availability for traveling events and training. Board members asked whether a portable defibrillator is available at off-site practices and how quickly staff could access it. Staff said athletics stores a traveling AED in the Tiernan Center for off-site use and that nursing staff perform annual checks. One member noted the time taken to retrieve and return a unit could be critical: "...the time that it takes to go from there to their unlock, come back, charge, and everything else, it could mean the difference between life and death."
Members debated whether music and drama participants should be subject to physicals like athletes, noting costs and potential impact on participation. Some board members raised concerns that requiring physicals could deter students and reduce engagement in programs that support student retention. Staff said student medical information is maintained in PowerSchool and that nurses and athletic trainers are present during high-intensity periods such as band camp.
Board members requested clearer cross-references between the three classification-specific extracurricular policies (administration, certified/professional staff, classified/support staff) to make the policy set more user-friendly. Staff said those cross-references and clarifying notes would be added and the revised policies brought back for a formal first reading.
