Board hears first reading of graduation and student-injury policy revisions

At the conclusion of the HR update, the board considered policy revisions in a first reading and took no action.

Chief of Human Resources and Business Services Michelle Riddell presented two policy revisions and one recommended deletion and told the board she was "not seeking your action tonight." She said the first policy, IKF, would update graduation requirements to reflect how completion of an International Baccalaureate program may satisfy some high school diploma requirements and would clarify rules around extended diplomas and when new state-required courses take effect.

Riddell described a second proposal to consolidate JHCA (school sports participation, concussion and brain-injury procedures) with immunization language previously in JHCB. She said the proposed language "not only incorporates the immunization policy language, but it also complies with House Bill 3007," and that the recommended deletion of JHCB was made because its pertinent immunization information would be included in JHCA.

Riddell also said the IKF revisions were intended to comply with "House Bill 4137," as presented. The presentation said the revisions were reviewed by the superintendent’s policy review team and had that team’s support. The board posed no substantive objections during the first reading; no vote was taken.

Because this was a first reading, Riddell asked the board to review the language and noted the materials would return for future consideration under the board’s policy-review process.