Board hears TASB update: district implementing legislative policy changes on DEI, AI, parental rights and grievance timelines
Summary
Chief academic officer Misty Reber briefed trustees on TASB update 01/26 and legislative changes affecting local policy: updates touch public participation, DEI restrictions (SB 12), AI guidance, grievance timing, curriculum review requests and other employment and facilities provisions; staff said many items were already implemented or trained.
Misty Reber, the district’s chief academic officer, presented TASB policy update 01/26 and walked trustees through local policy changes driven by the most recent legislative session. Reber summarized changes across the B–E sections of the policy manual (public participation, funding/contracts, employment, compensation and curriculum) and described where local practice already aligned with the new rules.
Key items Reber flagged included updates to public participation (BED local) and the location of public comment; contractor and DEI language tied to SB 12 (contract providers required to agree not to promote specified DEI materials); new local language clarifying artificial intelligence guidance (the district said it had already convened an AI committee); adjustments to grievance procedures (moving from calendar days to business days); and parental rights provisions around instructional‑material review and notification. Reber also noted facilities and badge/flag display technical changes and a forthcoming standalone update on a period‑of‑prayer declaration tied to another statute.
Reber told trustees the district had already trained staff on many of these changes, posted required instructional‑arrangement material online and implemented practices (for example, video/audio monitoring in special education) where required by law. Trustees asked clarifying questions about definitions (for instance, what constitutes reportable 'misconduct' for notification purposes); staff said some statutory details remain forthcoming and legal guidance may follow.
The board did not take formal action in workshop; staff said a separate, standalone legislative policy update would return before the board in advance of any required declaration or vote.
