The Tumwater School District board reviewed proposed Policy 2020 and accompanying Procedure 2020, which update the district’s process for selecting and adopting instructional materials and formalize a parent‑requested excusal process for identified lessons.

Assistant Superintendent Megan Dawson told the board the packet included the district’s curriculum adoption cycle (2013–2030) and examples of recent adoptions: the district completed a 6–12 English language arts adoption last summer, is in the middle of a K–5 ELA adoption with an upcoming parent review session, and is piloting K–6 science materials in elementary and middle schools. Dawson said the district uses the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) model screening tool to check materials for bias, including evaluation of representation, language and multiple perspectives.

Dawson described redlined changes in the procedure and a paragraph drawn from a model policy that responds to recent court developments. The packet language states that “upon a parent or guardian’s written request based on sincerely held religious beliefs, the district will excuse a student from an identified lesson or materials and provide a reasonable non‑stigmatizing alternative. Excused students will not be penalized academically, and the request should specify the material or unit.” Dawson said the language was included following a Maryland court case referenced in the district’s packet and model policy guidance.

A motion was made on the record to adopt Policy 2020 and Procedure 2020 “as presented” and was seconded; however, the transcript does not record a subsequent roll‑call or voice vote for that specific motion. The district packet and staff remarks note that the anti‑bias screening tool will be reapplied after vendors update materials and that a final recommendation on some adoptions is expected in spring 2026.

The board’s discussion clarified that the district’s Instructional Materials Committee (IMC) follows the described steps and that parent review sessions and reapplication of the screening tool are scheduled. The board asked about the legal basis for the excusal language and staff referenced model policy wording and court precedent; staff also acknowledged the distinction between state‑level requirements for the High School and Beyond plan and district discretion in supplemental programming.

Speakers (as referenced in the transcript): Megan Dawson, Assistant Superintendent; Board members (various); Superintendent (Did Robinson); Legal counsel (Randall) participated in later discussions about legal constraints for other items.

Provenance:
Topic intro: transcript block starting at 00:27:12 — curriculum adoption cycle and OSPI screening tool (s1632.4).
Topic finish: transcript block at 00:32:53 where motion to adopt Policy 2020 and Procedure 2020 was made (s1973.28).

Topics:
[{"name":"instructional_materials","justification":"Board reviewed Policy 2020, the district curriculum adoption cycle, OSPI anti‑bias screening and parent opt‑out language.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":0.98,"depth_score":0.80,"opinionatedness":0.03,"controversy":0.25,"civic_salience":0.70,"impactfulness":0.65,"geo_relevance":1.00}}]

Authorities:
[{"type":"policy","name":"OSPI instructional materials screening tool (model guidance)","citation":"OSPI model screening tool (referenced in board packet)","referenced_by":["policy-2020-instructional-materials-parent-opt-out"]},{"type":"statute","name":"Washington state law (RCW referenced in packet)","citation":"RCW (specific citation not identified in transcript)","referenced_by":["policy-2020-instructional-materials-parent-opt-out"]},{"type":"regulation","name":"Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) guidance","citation":"PDC guidance referenced during levy discussion","referenced_by":["levy-resolutions"]},{"type":"court_case","name":"Maryland case referenced in packet (referred to in meeting materials)","citation":"not specified in transcript","referenced_by":["policy-2020-instructional-materials-parent-opt-out"]}]

Actions:
[{"kind":"other","identifiers":{},"motion":"I move that we adopt Policy 2020 and Procedure 2020 as presented.","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{},"outcome":"not specified","notes":"Motion and second recorded in transcript; no vote captured in provided transcript segment."}]

Clarifying details:
[{"category":"adoption_timeline","detail":"District provided curriculum adoption cycle from 2013 to 2030; K–6 science piloting with parent review planned in late February","value":"not_specified","units":"","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Megan Dawson"},{"category":"parent_opt_out_language","detail":"Model wording: written request based on sincerely held religious beliefs, reasonable non‑stigmatizing alternative, no academic penalty","value":"not_specified","units":"","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Megan Dawson"}]

Searchable_tags:["Policy 2020","instructional materials","OSPI","parent opt-out","curriculum adoption"]

Salience justification: The policy affects how instructional materials are reviewed and how the district handles parental excusal requests; the item is procedurally significant for curriculum adoption.