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Board reviews BP/AR updates on student wellness, medication, fentanyl response and high-school phone rules
Summary
The board reviewed a first batch of policy/regulation updates including a superintendent advisory structure for wellness input, updates on synthetic-drug response (fentanyl), epinephrine/albuterol language, limits on self-administered medications, and high-school ARs for phone storage and progressive discipline.
At its Aug. 14 meeting the board considered updates to a group of board policies and administrative regulations addressing student wellness, substance response, medication administration, allergy/asthma protocols and a high-school cell-phone regulation.
Student Services staff said the student wellness BP would now include provisions to create a stakeholder advisory group (a superintendent's advisory committee rather than a Brown Act DAC) to provide input on wellness programming. The updates to alcohol and other drug policies follow CSBA suggestions and include annual notification language about synthetic drugs and social-media-based outreach to students.
On medication and health procedures, coordinating nurse Priscilla Guzman described several changes: replacing the term "auto-injectable epinephrine" with the broader word "epinephrine" to reflect nasal formulations, adding language authorizing emergency inhalers (albuterol) and training for staff to assist with respiratory distress, prohibiting administration of medicinal cannabis at school, clarifying 504/IDEA processes for medication during the school day and noting that self-administration is limited to rescue medication in most cases. Guzman said inhalers are not yet purchased district-wide and implementation will require training, budget and a restocking plan.
Cell phone regulations: the AR for high schools moves toward a "bell-to-bell" approach (phones put away during class) and middle schools would use assigned storage pouches barcode-tracked to students; the AR keeps progressive discipline (first offense: teacher holds phone for the day; second: parent pickup) and provides accommodations for students with medical needs (504 plan) that require phone access.
Next steps: The policies and ARs will return for action in August (as scheduled) with updated exhibits and forms; staff will continue public outreach and finalize training materials and budget implications where needed.
