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Board reviews handbook updates, adds AI language and tightens cell-phone rules
Summary
Trustees completed first readings of elementary, middle- and high-school handbook revisions that add a 24-hour illness exclusion, update 504/Title IX coordinators, clarify dual-credit grading/weighting and add brief language addressing AI use and device expectations; staff will refine AI and phone guidance before final adoption.
The Deuel School District 19-4 board conducted a first reading of updated handbooks for elementary, middle and high school that include changes to health exclusions, coordinator listings, grading and technology expectations.
Todd (speaker 5) walked trustees through edits to the elementary handbook — adding a 24-hour rule for fever/vomiting recovery, clarification on visitor sign-in, and an explicit request that smartwatches and other devices stay at home or in lockers. He said those basic housekeeping changes were made to align the elementary handbook with middle- and high-school language.
On the middle- and high-school handbooks, the board reviewed more substantive changes: the Title IX/504 coordinator listing was updated to show new points of contact; the grading scale was adjusted (adding pluses and minuses) and dual-credit courses were clarified and weighted (noted at 1.05). The handbooks also add a section on plagiarism that references AI-assisted work: the policy warns that verbatim copying with AI may be treated as academic dishonesty and "may result in a 0," while allowing teachers latitude to define acceptable classroom uses.
Board members said the AI language is intentionally brief and will likely require classroom- and course-level guidance. Trustees also discussed the range of staff preferences on device enforcement and recommended a consistent approach across classrooms; one member urged the district to resurvey staff and consider parent input. The language presented Tuesday was a first reading; the district will refine wording, add implementation details and return the handbooks for final approval at a later meeting.
