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Board approves Glacier and Flathead handbooks with amendment to identify homeless liaison, debates fee‑waiver clarity
Summary
Trustees approved revised Glacier and Flathead handbooks after adding language to identify the district’s homeless liaison and aligning wording with Policy 31‑25; members also pressed staff to make fee‑waiver processes clearer so families are not deterred from applying.
The Kalispell Public Schools Board of Trustees approved updated student handbooks for Glacier and Flathead high schools on a motion to amend the handbooks to include a description consistent with Policy 31‑25 and to identify the district’s homeless liaison.
Board member Linda raised a concern that the student handbook’s reference to a homeless liaison was too brief and asked the board to "add in a brief description of outreach from the homeless coordinator," saying students and parents should see who the liaison is and how to reach them. Rebecca urged that fee waivers be applied equitably and not left to informal coach discretion: "I would be much more comfortable if that was an official policy ... it would be more equitable if we made sure that everyone was helped, not just the people the coaches tend to notice."
Policy staff advised trustees to align handbook wording with Policy 31‑25 (education of homeless children) rather than the vaguer term "outreach," noting the policy requires schools to remove enrollment and transportation barriers for students in transition. After discussion, trustees refined the motion so the handbooks would (1) include the information referenced in Policy 31‑25, (2) identify the homeless liaison by role, and (3) give administration discretion on final wording.
Trustees also debated the mechanics of fee waivers and the district’s new schoolwide free‑lunch status. Staff said the district now qualifies for schoolwide free lunch and added that information to handbook sections on breakfast and lunch; several trustees said they wanted a clear, visible statement in fee sections explaining how families can request waivers or assistance. "All I want to know is if they know how to ask and where to ask," one trustee said, urging simple front‑end instructions so students do not opt out of activities because of cost.
The board approved the amended handbooks in a single vote. Trustees noted the need to consider budget impacts if the district broadens waivers beyond current grant‑funded coverage, and asked staff to provide precise handbook language that matches legal requirements and preserves administrators’ ability to finalize wording.
The approval followed a multi‑point discussion that began with elementary and middle‑school handbooks and moved to more detailed debate at the high‑school level; the board voted to adopt the amended Glacier and Flathead handbooks and directed staff to align the language with Policy 31‑25.
