Board reviews ASBA policy updates; local change replaces 'parental leave' with 'maternity leave' and clarifies device use for concurrent credit

Board member 'Matt' briefly reviewed recommended policy updates from the Arkansas School Boards Association (ASBA) and corresponding local edits during the Dec. 2 board meeting.

Matt said the district adopted some ASBA verbiage and made a local change in its licensed personnel policy: the district replaced the term "parental leave" with "maternity leave," a local modification that will limit the policy wording to mothers rather than using the broader ASBA term. He stated that the change had been made locally and was being presented for board approval.

Other ASBA updates noted by the presenter included section 4.47 on possession and use of personal electronic devices, which added verbiage to accommodate students taking concurrent‑credit courses who may need to use a phone for two‑factor authentication. The presenter also flagged a paragraph in school choice policy referencing desegregation and court approval; the district removed that first paragraph locally because it had not been included previously and the district believes it is not exempt from certain school tools.

Board members indicated policies are vetted by attorneys and that updates are brought regularly for review. The transcript records the policy descriptions and proposed wording changes but does not include a final board vote on these specific policy revisions within the excerpt.