U-46 legal counsel outlines broad policy revisions tied to new state laws, board to vote Feb. 2

Tricia Olsen, U-46’s chief legal officer, walked the board through a lengthy packet of proposed policy revisions during the Jan. 26 work session, telling members the changes primarily update footnotes and internal references to reflect legislation enacted this past session.

Olsen highlighted a major curricular reorganization stemming from Public Act 104391, which renumbers and groups curriculum topics under headings such as safety education, online safety and media, and history and social studies. She also recommended removing a hard audit-filing date (October 15) from policy so the district does not inadvertently violate board rules in years when statewide timelines shift.

Other notable items in the packet include transportation updates reflecting a July 2031 seat-belt requirement on newly purchased school buses and allowances for multifunction activity buses when driven by a school-bus-permitted driver; a renamed reference from "police" to "law enforcement" in several policies; and an expanded definition of cyberbullying that explicitly references the improper use of artificial intelligence.

Olsen said the board could choose optional language on several matters — for example whether to include an explicit reference to generative-AI misuse as a form of academic dishonesty in student-discipline policy. Board members asked for a version of the proposed audit policy without the October 15 language to review before the Feb. 2 vote.

The administration recommended adoption of the packet with several items flagged for board discussion; the board will consider action at its next meeting.