Board reviews broad policy updates including evaluation changes and Racism‑Free training requirement

The board received a first reading of extensive policy updates on Dec. 9, 2025, that Dr. Sharon Williams said were largely legal and technical in nature but included several operationally significant items. The proposed revisions are grouped into six categories: immigration and law enforcement, operations and school safety, personnel, curriculum, student services and student records.

Dr. Williams noted the change in language from "police" to "law enforcement" in one policy and referenced the Supreme Court precedent Plyler v. Doe while underscoring the district’s existing procedures for interacting with law enforcement on campus. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Dominique Moore presented changes to Policy 3:50 to allow pausing student growth measures in teacher and administrator evaluations for the 2025–26 school year; Moore said the district consulted union partners and school leaders before adopting the pause. Other notable changes include requiring compensation for nursing mothers during break time (Policy 5:10); adding the Illinois Department of Human Rights’ Racism‑Free Schools Model Training as a biennial required training for all K–12 employees with initial completion by July 31, 2026 (Policy 2:270); and placing suicide‑prevention resource contact information on employee ID cards (Policy 7:290).

Dr. Williams also described an update to how junior high students earn high‑school credit for course work, requiring they pass the end‑of‑course exam in addition to the course grade under Policy 6:315. The board was informed these are first‑reading items and no action was required at this meeting; administrators will make technical updates and return policies for future action as needed.