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Board holds first reading of state‑mandated staff boundaries policy, debates approved communication channels
Summary
The board reviewed a state‑mandated first reading of policy 524 on staff–student boundaries and communications. Members discussed which district communications apps should be officially endorsed and raised questions about logging and open‑records implications.
The Amery School District board conducted a first reading of policy 524, the state‑mandated rule on student–staff professional boundaries and communications, and discussed implementation details staff will need to address before final adoption.
Board members noted the policy's broad prohibition on informal or personal channels for staff communications with students and asked whether the district should designate approved one‑way or two‑way platforms such as email, Band app, Remind, or the district's forthcoming bound registration software. A board member summarized the policy’s intent: communications "must be exclusively professional, respectful, and transparent," and said, "if you are questioning whether or not this is appropriate, the answer is no."
Members asked administrative staff to identify a list of approved tools and to determine whether messages sent by those tools will be logged or subject to open‑records requests. They also flagged the challenge of informal back‑channel contact (game handles, social media) and agreed that implementing the policy will require training and operational guidance for staff. The board set no adoption date tonight but noted the statute requires a policy in place by Sept. 1, 2026.
