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Board reviews nine policy changes tied to 2025 Georgia legislation; final votes scheduled for August
Summary
Associate superintendent Michelle Bridal reviewed nine recommended policy revisions or adoptions prompted by 2025 Georgia legislation, including a parent bill of rights, transfer/withdrawal disclosures, an updated attendance policy, student suicide‑prevention training, gender‑equity sports rules, and other administrative changes; board will consider formal approval on Aug. 18.
Michelle Bridal, associate superintendent of general administration, presented an overview of nine recommended policy revisions and new policies that reflect changes enacted by the 2025 session of the Georgia General Assembly. Bridal said the recommendations come from the district's attorneys at the Georgia School Boards Association, which reviewed the legislation and proposed policy language for local adoption.
Policies and statutory drivers cited in the presentation included the parents' bill of rights (identified as board policy JR‑B, in response to House Bill 268), a new transfer and withdrawal policy (policy JBCD) requiring parents of students in grades 4–12 to disclose felony findings and current disciplinary actions and to provide certified records when transferring students, and a replacement of the attendance policy (policy JD) in response to Senate Bill 123 that prohibits expulsion based on absenteeism alone and requires chronic absenteeism protocols by June 1, 2026. Bridal also outlined proposed student suicide‑prevention training (policy JJJA) tied to the school safety bill (House Bill 268); gender‑equity in sports (policy IDFA) in response to Senate Bill 1 with a complaint and resolution process; a leave provision for bone marrow/organ donors in response to House Bill 235; updated harassment policies in response to House Bill 154; and a salary‑deduction/notice policy (DJCB) responding to House Bill 37 regarding Social Security withholdings and employee eligibility.
Doctor North and board members discussed how much policy can go beyond the minimum required by law. Doctor North said the law requires adoption but the district often "goes beyond" to retain flexibility; he emphasized the need to create enforceable policy while recognizing limits to the district's legal jurisdiction over parents. Board members asked for time to review the materials; administration recommended returning the items for formal action on August 18.
No formal vote on the policies occurred at the July meeting; the board will review the proposed language and consider approval at the August meeting.
