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Board adopts policy clarifying 'digital learning days' and removes inapplicable Labor Day clause
Summary
The board approved revisions to Policy 602 to define "digital learning days" (instruction by a licensed teacher, attendance recorded; synchronous or asynchronous instruction permitted) and voted to strike a model-policy clause allowing schools to begin before Labor Day when coordinating with an adjoining-state district, which board members said does not apply locally.
The Saint Louis Park School Board on Wednesday adopted revisions to Policy 602 (organization of the school day and school calendar) that add a definition and operational guidance for "digital learning days" and remove an inapplicable model-policy clause tied to starting the school year before Labor Day.
"We have added the language around digital learning days, so that it just really lays out when we will use those days," Superintendent Dr. Hines said, explaining the policy requires instruction to be provided and attendance taken and that instruction must be delivered by a licensed teacher either asynchronously or synchronously.
Board members raised several technical and substantive points during the second reading. One board member noted a minor wording change ("provided that" suggested for a subsection) and a formatting issue; another questioned subsection 3.b.3, which tracks model statutory language allowing a district to begin before Labor Day "if Saint Louis Park agrees to the same schedule with the school district in an adjoining state." Members said the clause does not apply to Saint Louis Park and moved to strike 3.b.3. A board member described the provision as statutory model language used in Minnesota School Boards Association templates; the board voted to remove the subsection and approved the policy as amended, 7-0.
The adopted language clarifies when a full instructional day may be scheduled as a digital day, what constitutes instruction and attendance, and confirms that licensed teachers must provide instruction on those days. Board and staff noted formatting and labeling edits will be made before the final published policy.
