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Mountain Brook Board approves updates on student devices, vaping and attendance; tables two policies for public review
Summary
At its July 14 meeting the Mountain Brook Board of Education approved several policy updates — including rules on wireless devices, vaping and attendance — and tabled two policies (private instruction and credit for outside courses) for community review. All recorded votes were unanimous.
Board President Jenifer Kimbrough presided over the Mountain Brook Board of Education meeting on July 14, 2025, where trustees approved multiple policy revisions aimed at aligning district rules with recent state law and guidance.
Superintendent Dr. Richard Barlow introduced the policy items and recommended Board action on several revisions. Dr. Missy Brooks, the district’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, told trustees that Policy J-32 (Credit for Courses Offered Outside of Mountain Brook Schools) had been revised “to reflect the new law in Alabama that stated that dual enrollment classes be placed on transcripts and that there needs to be permission and an agreement made between the institution and the school regarding that instruction.” The Board voted unanimously to table Policy J-32 for community review and return on August 11, 2025.
Dr. Brooks also presented Policy J-30 (Private Instruction), which the district revised to clarify what activities—such as tutoring or coaching—constitute private instruction. Dr. Barlow asked the Board to table J-30 for community input; Mrs. Anna Comer moved and Mrs. Anne Schilleci seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
On items the Board did approve, Mrs. Amanda Hood, Director of Student Services, explained that Policy J-5 (Tobacco and Nicotine-Free Environment) had not been updated since 1995 and needed revision to implement a new state law addressing vaping and nicotine on campus. Dr. Barlow recommended approval; Mrs. Comer moved and Mrs. Schilleci seconded. The Board approved Policy J-5 unanimously.
Mrs. Hood said Policy J-12 (Attendance) was revised to bring district practice into alignment with the Alabama Code and the Alabama School Attendance Manual, and the Board approved that policy unanimously as well.
Dr. Barlow asked the Board to vote by omnibus motion on three related policies—Policy J-2 (Discipline Code of Conduct), Policy J-43 (Technology Usage Policy) and Policy J-43a (Student Possession and Use of Wireless Communication Devices)—which Mrs. Hood had described as responding to legislation restricting students from keeping communication-capable devices on their person during instructional minutes. Mrs. Anne Schilleci moved the omnibus approval, Mrs. Anna Comer seconded, and the Board approved all three policies unanimously.
The Board also approved Policy J-34 (Student Retention), which Dr. Brooks said added the literacy act to the district’s retention guidance, and approved an updated AP Latin course after a committee review of College Board materials.
Next steps: the two tabled policies (J-30 and J-32) are scheduled for community review and a vote at the Board’s August 11, 2025 meeting. The Board recorded no dissenting votes during the July 14 meeting.
(Reporting note: Motions and seconders are recorded in the meeting minutes; vote results are listed as "Unanimously Approved.")
