The Cheney School Board took care of several housekeeping measures at its Jan. 9 meeting, honoring its former president and hearing the first reading of a significant transportation policy revision.
The board kicked off the meeting by presenting a plaque to former president Henry Browne, who served in that position for three consecutive years. The plaque was in recognition of “three years of service and going above and beyond,” said School Board Vice President Mitch Swenson.
Following the brief presentation, Kristin Mansfield, a parent of two Cheney High School students, voiced concerns about the school resource officer program at the high school. It is imperative, she said, that officers receive accurate training and the proper oversight.
“I want to make sure that having the officers doesn’t lead to increased arrests and increased referral to the criminal justice system,” she said.
In other news, Cheney’s student support services coordinator Cathleen Schlotter presented a report on the district’s significant increase in families looking to homeschool their children. Schlotter said she wasn’t completely sure of the cause of the increase just yet, but that it might be related to the overall population jump in the Cheney district over the last few years.
As of November, about 979 kids below the age of 18 were being homeschooled in some way.
The board also unanimously approved the adoption of the 2020-21 calendar and heard a first reading of a proposed revision to a school board policy on transportation. The policy revisions primarily clarify where walk zones must be located and how bus routes should be scheduled, though they also alter the criteria for what students the district must provide transportation to and from school.
Under the new policy, the location of bus routes may be determined by factors like student safety, economy and efficiency, and students may be required to walk up to one mile from their home to their bus stop provided that the walking route is safe.
The original policy also stated that transportation must be provided for students whose disabilities prevent them from walking. Now, the policy has been changed to include students whose disabilities prevent them from providing for their own welfare while walking to school as well.
Cheney High School’s student advisors spoke to board members about the school’s upcoming Spirit Game against Medical Lake and shared strategies for how they intended to win this year for the first time in more than a decade.
Student advisors also updated the board on the ASB’s plan to host a Winter Formal dance this year to boost attendance at winter events.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].
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