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Board hears first reading of multiple policy updates tied to 2026 Indiana legislation
Summary
Administrators presented several policy changes on first reading, including adding imitation firearms to the weapons policy, strengthened parental controls on district devices, new attendance exceptions, mandated cardiac-arrest/AED plans for activity leaders, and public-records CAPTCHA protections; no votes were taken tonight.
On first reading the Bartholomew Con School Corp board on July 20 reviewed multiple policy revisions that reflect changes from the 2026 Indiana legislative session and administrative updates.
Dr. Phillips summarized the items (all posted for public review): the weapons policy (200 series) now includes imitation firearms, the wellness policy (A-275) adds USDA training and requires drinking-water availability, and parental-control features already implemented on district devices will be codified in policy to allow parents to limit device access at home. He explained attendance-exception clarifications (C-175) and new cardiac-arrest training and AED-plan requirements for extracurricular leaders (C-525), which must align with nationally recognized evidence-based programs such as the American Heart Association.
Other policies discussed include internal-controls and reporting of losses (F-100 series), a new policy recommended by Indiana's Distressed Unit Appeals Board to document budget-adoption responsibilities (F-101), and changes to purchasing and automatic-renewal contract provisions (F-125) to align schools with other public entities in the state. Privacy protections for free- and reduced-price meal recipients (G-325), clarifications that booster/PTO organizations operate independently (H-125), and public-records CAPTCHA/verification measures (H-150) were also reviewed.
Dr. Phillips said the district has already implemented stronger parental controls on devices and is bringing the language into policy. He and the district's outside counsel (Amy Matthews of Church, Churchill & Averett) offered to answer board questions; several members asked for working sessions on specific policies to allow more deliberation.
What happens next: The policies will remain on first reading; administration and counsel are available to respond to board questions, and certain policies were requested for further working-session review before final action.
