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Board adopts bundle of policy updates including technology, wellness and student publication rules
Summary
The board adopted revisions to multiple district policies — including technology/cell-phone acceptable use, wellness posting requirements, and student publication policy — to align with recent statutory changes and MSBA recommendations.
The Albert Lea Public School District board approved a package of policy updates at final reading and annual review. Key changes included:
- Policy 512 (school-sponsored student publications): final reading and approval after prior reviews; no substantive questions were raised. - Policy 524 (technology/cell-phone acceptable use): updates add explicit references to internet and cell-phone use and direct the district to establish procedures for cell-phone management at different grade levels. - Policy 533 (wellness): updates add legal references and require the district to post the local wellness policy on the district website in accordance with state statute. - Additional updates (policies 513, 601, 603, 616, 612, 604, 614) revise terminology to align with state statute (e.g., changing references from 'world's best workforce' to 'comprehensive achievement and civic readiness', moving from 'parent' to 'family' in Title I language, and adding anti-retaliation language for testing procedures).
During discussion of the technology policy, student journalists spoke about classroom practices: one student said classroom pouches that hold phones (rather than locking pouches) could strike a balance between limiting disruption while allowing phones for class-related activities. The board approved the presented policy revisions on final reading.
