During a board meeting last Thursday, September 7, the Olympia School District (OSD) held the first reading of the Series 3000 concerning student policies.
The board reviewed the recommended revisions the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) for Policy Review has set.
“One of the reasons this is a really detailed review is that there were quite a few changes to the 3000 series, since we did an initial audit in 2017. We needed to go back and look at new model policies. There were a number of changes in law that had to be updated for new policies,” OSD Vice President Hilary Seidel said.
Student Representative Meredith Morgan highlighted some of the revisions, starting with adding a clause considering students’ financial and mental well-being in transfers.
“Their financial educational safety, mental well-being, or health condition affecting the student would be reasonably improved as a result of the transfer,” Morgan said. “So that's another situation in which transfers can be granted.”
The creation of the student handbook was also revised, with improvements to the code of conduct and athletic codes.
“Each year, the superintendent will develop handbooks pertaining to student rights, conduct, and discipline and make the handbooks available to all students, their parents, and staff. The superintendent will develop such handbooks with the participation of parents and the community,” Morgan said.
Seidel told other board members that the policies are to get a clear direction on the district’s procedures and not to go too far afield of a specific model policy analysis.
“My strong suggestion would be to focus on clear and precise language for the superintendent so that we let a superintendent know the goal is a clear and concise all expectations equitably distributed so that every kid and every family gets the same handbook that is that delivers the policies,” said Seidel.
Morgan also pointed out the updated policy on gender-inclusive schools, starting with providing no-contact orders in cases of gender-based harassment.
“Then we added this last paragraph that says, in accordance with values laid out in the OSD strategic plan, extra measures should be taken to ensure the safety and comfort of students, such as making no-contact orders available in cases of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or discrimination based on a student's gender identity or gender expression,” said Morgan.
Morgan also shared that they had laid out policies on gender-inclusive single-stall bathrooms in all buildings.
“The district will make available to all buildings single-stall facilities accessible to all students of any gender,” added Morgan.
OSD will have a regular board meeting on Thursday, September 14, and they will present an updated CAC roster.
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