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MACCRAY board adopts 2024–25 handbooks and MSBA Title IX updates; trustees raise grading, dress‑code and clarity questions
Summary
The MACCRAY School District board adopted updated 2024–25 student and staff handbooks incorporating an MSBA‑recommended Title IX nondiscrimination policy; trustees discussed a new 10‑point grading scale, dress‑code language, handbook formatting and required follow‑ups.
The MACCRAY School District Board of Education adopted updated student and staff handbooks for 2024–25 and approved MSBA‑recommended updates to the district’s Title IX nondiscrimination policy.
During discussion, a presenter explained that text highlighted in the handbook draft is new and that the district followed the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) model. The presenter said the handbook will be adjusted based on trustee feedback and staff input; “everything in the handbook that was highlighted in yellow is new,” the presenter said.
Trustees raised several editorial and substantive questions before voting. Concerns included inconsistent placement of food‑service material across multiple pages, wording for e‑learning hours (whether to use 'office hours' or 'work hours'), clarity about excused absences for e‑learning, and whether the McKinney‑Vento Act should be referenced in the transportation section. On dress code, a trustee noted ambiguity about 'opaque fabric' wording and footwear requirements; another trustee said the handbook includes a diagram to aid enforcement.
The presenter also described a proposed grading‑scale change to a straight 10‑point scale that would remove an A+ grade but retain plus/minus distinctions; the presenter said staff supported the change and that it would be finalized after staff review. Trustees asked for careful consideration of scholarship impacts and for staff to follow up as needed.
The Title IX policy update prompted discussion about resource and investigative burdens for smaller districts and acknowledged that MSBA updated language after federal changes; one trustee said the revision should make investigations more efficient for districts without large HR staffs.
The board approved the student and staff handbooks and the policy updates by voice vote. The presenter and staff were directed to incorporate trustee clarifications (wording changes, placeholders replaced with finalized language) and to circulate the final handbook text.
What’s next: Staff will finalize revisions called for during discussion, incorporate the adopted Title IX language into handbook documents and distribute updated handbooks to staff and families.
