Board approves revised student-discipline policy and clears a slate of contracts and policy updates

The Battle Ground School Board of Directors approved changes to the district's student discipline policy (Policy 3241) on Oct. 27, adopting the revised language the administration recommended and directing continued attention to data on disciplinary disproportionality.

The policy change, presented by the district's administration as an update to align practices with the district strategic plan and with state reporting expectations, removes some previously used terms (such as "equitable") in favor of language that emphasizes "each and every" student and "fairness," according to staff presenting the item. The board voted to adopt the revisions during the meeting; the roll call on the motion as recorded in the meeting transcript was recorded as passing unanimously.

Why it matters: The change clarifies how the district will describe and monitor discipline practices in elementary and secondary schools, and it formalizes the role of a district committee that reviews discipline data by subgroup to identify potential disparities and early interventions. Speakers at the meeting and in public comment repeatedly asked the district to track data, explain corrective steps when disparities appear, and preserve due process for students with disabilities.

Key details from the meeting - The administration said the student-discipline revisions were developed with input from a District Office Action Committee that includes principals and assistant principals who handle day-to-day discipline. The committee recommended specific wording the board adopted. - Board members discussed the difference between "fair" and "equal" responses, and the administration emphasized that data on disproportionality (for example, special-education populations) triggers a local review and an explanation of corrective actions when appropriate. - The revisions were presented with strike-and-add markup; administrators said blue text in the packet showed their recommended final language.

Votes at a glance (formal actions recorded in the meeting) - Agenda approval — Motion to approve the meeting agenda as presented: outcome recorded as approved, vote recorded 5–0. - Consent agenda — Motion to approve consent items (minutes, personnel, donations, parent support organizations, cancellation of outstanding warrants): approved, vote recorded 5–0. - Policy 3241 (Student Discipline) — Motion to approve revisions to Policy 3241 as presented: outcome recorded as approved, vote recorded 5–0. - Collective bargaining with Public School Employees (PSE), Unit 119 — Motion to approve tentative collective-bargaining agreement (three-year agreement, Sept. 1, 2025'Aug. 31, 2028, with a wage reopener in June 2026): outcome recorded as approved, vote recorded 5–0. Administrators noted a previously approved salary schedule had been presented in August and that the tentative agreement adds one new classified position and standardizes temporary/continuing position language. - Policy 50.11 (Harassment of district staff) revisions — Motion to approve updated policy language to align with federal Title IX guidance and Washington law: approved, vote recorded 5–0. - Policy 1111 (Oath of Office) revision — Motion to approve a minor wording change to add "and the laws of the state of Washington" to the oath: approved, vote recorded 5–0. - Policy 1210 (Annual organization meeting) revisions — Motion to approve clarifying language about officer eligibility and timing for WAZDA (WASDA) representative elections: approved, vote recorded 5–0. - Policy 1821 (Standards for individual school directors) — Brought as a new policy for first reading; the transcript records a first-reading motion and a voice vote that the chair initially recorded as passed unanimously, and then later the record shows a corrected tally reported as 4'1. (First-reading approval was recorded; final roll-call count as logged in the transcript was 4'1.)

Administration notes and next steps - Administrators told the board that discipline-disproportionality reviews typically start as local conversations to determine whether data reflect a documentation issue, differences in how goals and supports are applied, or a systemic problem that warrants policy or practice changes. - For bargaining, human-resources staff clarified that the contract language includes a June 2026 negotiation window to review wages for the 2026'7 and 2027'8 school years and that any adjustments would be discussed in light of district finances (for example, levy outcomes).

Speakers (selected) - Mary Snitley, President and Director, District 1 (board) - Jackie Maddox, Vice President and Director, District 5 (board) - Debbie Johnson, Director, District 2 (board) - Ted Champine, Director, District 3 (board) - Terry Tate, Director, District 4 (board) - Student Representatives Itzel Contreras Montiel and Toby Wynne (student reps) - Tamara (administration staff who presented policy 3241 revisions) — identified in packet and presentation materials - Michelle (Human Resources) — presented the PSE bargaining agreement

Authorities referenced - Policy 3241, Student Discipline (district policy, revised) - Policy 50.11, Harassment of District Staff (district policy, revised) - Policy 1111, Oath of Office (district policy, revised) - Policy 1210, Annual Organization Meeting (district policy, revised) - Proposed Policy 1821, Standards for Individual School Directors (new policy; first reading) - Reference to federal Title IX and U.S. Department of Education guidance during presentation of staff-harassment policy

Discussion vs. decision - Discussion: Board members and staff debated terminology ("equitable" vs. "fairness" and "each and every"), how to interpret disproportionality reports, and how to document corrective steps when data show disparities. - Direction: The board adopted the revised policy language and asked administration to continue regular review of discipline data and to provide clear school-improvement plan connections when corrective work is required. - Formal action: The board adopted the policies and approved the collective-bargaining agreement by recorded votes as listed above.

Provenance (transcript evidence) - Topic intro: transcript segment starting near the Oct. 27 meeting old-business item on student discipline (meeting transcript time ~7338 seconds into the recording). - Topic finish: transcript segment ending with the motion results and subsequent new-business items (meeting transcript time ~8060 seconds).