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Culver board adopts updated student handbooks, tightens phone and attendance rules
Summary
The Culver Community Schools Corp board approved updated student handbooks that add unexcused absences to disciplinary language, adopt a districtwide approach to phone storage and clarify liability; the measure passed 6-0.
The Culver Community Schools Corp board approved updated student handbooks Tuesday night that tighten attendance-related discipline and establish a supervised phone check-in system, voting 6-0.
Administrators said the handbook language now includes "excessive unexcused absences" under substantial disobedience and adopts the district's phone policy language. Erica, a district staff member who presented the handbook changes, said administrators "added language under student misconduct and substantial disobedience to add and or excessive unexcused absences under our discipline policies." The board adopted the handbooks as presented after brief discussion.
Why it matters: Attendance is a measurable component of upcoming state accountability reports, administrators said, and the district expects real-time daily attendance tracking to factor into school grades. The handbook changes are intended to align local discipline policy with those accountability expectations and to give staff options when students accumulate many absences.
Administrators said the handbooks copy the district PCD (personal communication device) policy into student materials and that the district will not be responsible for lost, stolen or damaged devices. Brett, a district presenter, explained the operational plan if the handbooks are approved: "students will not have PCDs on their person or in their backpack during from 8:00 until 3:12," and the initial plan is to provide one designated locker or cubby per grade with teacher supervision for check-in and check-out. Staff said they will communicate the plan to families with flyers and videos and are leaving specific operational language out of the handbook to allow flexibility during rollout.
Board members sought clarity on how many hours staff were paid for recent curriculum work and why stipend totals varied; administrators said staff receive hourly pay for the actual hours worked and that differences reflected the number of days or new course teams requiring extra planning time.
The board approved the handbooks by voice vote; the motion to adopt was moved by Matt and seconded by Andy. The district plans to send communications to families explaining the new phone check-in procedures and to monitor the process for adjustments.
