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District presents HIB self‑assessment; board set to adopt student privacy policy with metal‑detector wands
Summary
District officials presented the annual HIB self‑assessment and described tools such as the HIPSTER case‑management system and MTSS supports; superintendent and administrators also recommended updating policy 5770 to permit use of metal‑detecting wands to help address vaping, with the board moving to suspend bylaws for a single reading.
District staff presented the annual harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) self‑assessment and outlined prevention and response programs across schools.
The director of student services described the HIB self‑assessment rubric (maximum 78 points per building) and said all buildings scored well on the district’s evaluation. The district uses a principal‑determination option in its HIB policy to triage reports and reserve full investigations for incidents that meet the HIB definition. The presenter said HIPSTER (an online case‑management system) helps staff track investigations, timelines and required actions.
“Our policy allows for a principal’s determination so that we could spend our time on the investigations we need to actually look into,” the presenter said, explaining that option is intended to focus investigative resources.
Staff listed prevention programs cited in the self‑assessment, including Challenge Day, a therapy‑dog counseling partnership, random acts of kindness recognition, reading‑buddy programs and caring closets. They framed these supports within a multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) intended to address academics, attendance and behavior.
Separately, the superintendent and governance chair discussed a proposed update to policy 5770 (student right of privacy) that would add language allowing the use of handheld metal‑detecting wands at the high school to help identify hidden vaping devices. Administrators said wand scans are intended to supplement, not replace, searches and other safety measures and were presented as a response to persistent vaping in bathrooms.
On the governance agenda the board moved to suspend bylaw 0131 (which otherwise requires two readings) in order to adopt policy 5770 with a single reading effective Oct. 31, 2024; the agenda contained a typographical date error that staff corrected during the meeting.
The board later approved, by roll call, a motion to accept the HIB incident report presented in executive session.
