Board updates policy manual, clarifies emergency authority and retires Policy 18-10

The Battle Ground School District board approved a package of governance updates on Nov. 10, including revisions to Policy 13-10 to make BoardDocs the official electronic repository for policies and procedures, an update to Policy 18-20 (board evaluation) to underscore use of research-based evaluation tools, and retirement of Policy 18-10 because its functions are incorporated into the new policies.

Staff explained the Policy 13-10 changes remove references to maintaining paper policy manuals in every building and clarify when administrative procedures will be brought to the board for input on controversial issues. Directors asked about a paragraph that allows the board to amend policies or procedures related to employee group agreements “in case of emergency.” Staff and other directors tied that language to actions taken during the COVID shutdown in March 2020 (referencing Resolution A-20) and clarified it was used to adjust memoranda of understanding (MOUs) when necessary under emergency conditions.

Board vote: The board approved the revision to Policy 13-10 and the update to Policy 18-20 (both motions passed 5–0) and later approved retirement of Policy 18-10 (motion passed 5–0). Staff said policy documents will be updated in BoardDocs and the changes will be published for stakeholder reference.

Why it matters: The changes modernize access to district policy and codify evaluation expectations. Directors asked for clarity about the emergency authority language and how MOUs were handled during the pandemic; staff committed to providing historical context and documents as needed.