Board approves revised visitor and volunteer policies; trustees add administrator discretion

The Douglas County School District board unanimously approved revisions to two board policies affecting school visitors and volunteers.

Trustees debated a 45-minute limit for classroom observations under Board Policy 905 and whether site administrators should be able to extend visits in specific circumstances. Several trustees suggested allowing the administrator or a designee to grant additional time for observations or events that legitimately require longer access. After discussion, the board approved BP 905 with the revisions discussed; the motion passed unanimously.

The volunteer policy (BP 906) was presented as a second reading. Trustees and members of the public raised concerns about conflicting language that on one hand prohibited volunteers from supervising students and on the other allowed chaperones to supervise students on trips. Miss Dwyer and others clarified the distinction: volunteers who supervise students must be under the direction of a licensed district employee; visitors who have not passed background checks are not permitted to supervise. The board added language to make that supervision rule explicit and approved BP 906 with the suggested amendments. Volunteers' background-check status was clarified as valid for five years, and the district noted it notifies volunteers ahead of expiration.

Both policy votes were unanimous. Trustees said the changes are intended to balance classroom continuity and student safety with reasonable flexibility for administrators.