Volusia County School Board reviews policy updates; agrees to change marketing title and tighten confidentiality language

The Volusia County School Board discussed a package of policy updates and reached agreement on several editorial changes to be included in the documents the board will advertise for formal consideration.

The meeting opened with Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin and board attorney Gilbert Evans presenting three policies with minor edits and one new policy. Evans told the board the instructional policy on physical education (Policy 305) was updated to replace references to the old "Sunshine State Standards" with the "Next Generation Sunshine State Standards" and to update a statutory citation in the redline. The board noted Policy 305 was last revised in 2009 and will return in the advertisement packet for formal action.

Board members discussed the School Advisory Council policy (Policy 809), previously last reviewed in 2008, and accepted minor grammatical edits and a change replacing the old standards reference with the Florida-Best standards. Several trustees suggested language that would let the district remain current with state changes without repeatedly amending policy.

On Policy 718 (currently "Promotion and Public Relations"), the board debated whether the title matched the policy text and whether fundraising should be separated from marketing. After discussion, the board reached informal consensus to rename the document "School district marketing" and to separate fundraising as a distinct function in practice; staff will update the title for the evening's advertisement packet. Chair Reuben Colona said the revised title better matched the policy content.

The lengthiest discussion focused on Policy 418 (Standards of Conduct), which updates how employees may access sensitive and confidential information following the district's sunset of nondisclosure agreements. Heidi Crimmins, a staff attorney, explained the redline adds language to clarify that access to confidential or sensitive information will be limited to employees whose job functions require it. Several trustees pressed for clearer definitions: they explored whether the policy should list specific statutory citations or instead adopt a baseline of the state and federal laws that define confidentiality and public-records exemptions.

Trustees raised concerns about safety-related records and how recent changes after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shootings affect the district's handling of security plans and campus maps. Counsel and Crimmins explained that statutes and public-records exemptions change over time and that detailed operational definitions should live in implementing procedures and training. Trustees also expressed concern about proposals in state legislation that could broaden board member access to records; Jessie Thompson said she would raise those concerns in Tallahassee.

After debate, the board gave staff direction to insert language in the redline defining confidentiality "as defined by applicable state and federal law," with procedures and annual training to specify who within departments may access particular categories of sensitive information. Staff reiterated that the policy language would be general and that department-level procedures will define operational access, consistent with FERPA and public-records law.

Finally, the board heard a presentation on a new facilities policy, Policy 616, establishing criteria and metrics for district reimaging and rezoning in response to changing enrollment and related legislative provisions. Trustees thanked staff for the work; the document will be revised per feedback and included in the advertisement packet.

All changes discussed at the meeting were presented as edits for advertisement; no final adoptions or formal votes were recorded during this session. The board will consider adoption after the required advertisement and any additional procedural documentation are provided.