CHENEY – School board members passed revisions to a policy regarding student fees, fines and charges at an otherwise light agenda for its first meeting in 2020 last Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Assistant Superintendent Tom Arlt directed board members to some minor word changes made since the policy’s first read at the Dec. 18 meeting. Arlt said the language in the first reading came directly from the Washington State School Directors Association.
“Their language has been more liberal than required by law,” Arlt said, adding this could affect other district policies so the policy was being tweaked to align closer with state law.
The policy states the district shall provide an education program to students that’s “as free as possible.” Language allowing for additional fees and charges was removed, and provisions made for the superintendent to allow for supplementary supplies and materials as long as the costs to students do not exceed the costs of materials, and that students are free to purchase supplies and materials elsewhere “or provide reasonable alternatives.”
Students are responsible for replacing materials lost or damaged only if it was “due to negligence. Student’s grades, transcripts or diplomas can still be withheld for such a violation, but only until restitution by payment or the equivalency is made through volunteer work.
Fees for supplies and materials can still be waived for students of low-income families who “would” have difficulty paying the full fee, rather than “could” have “definable” difficulty language in the old policy.
Arlt asked the board that the second and final reading of a policy considering adoption of new family, medical and maternity leave language be delayed so that the district can continue with the Cheney Education Association on aspects of the new changes. The board agreed and postponed consideration to a future meeting.
In other business, the board received reports on educational activities by students at the district’s Home Works! program, and progress made by Three Springs High School staff at incorporating the Summit Learning program into its curriculum. Finance Director Jamie Weingart told the board the district had received two “generous” donations from Disability Management Consultants and Numerica Credit Union of $3,300 and $1,500 respectively to cover negative balances in the free and reduced lunch program.
Weingart said the district continues to show enrollment growth, and is now at 4,920 full-time equivalent students. She and Arlt are continuing to deal with impacts to employee health insurance and other benefits created now that the School Employees Benefit Board (SEBB) took over administering the program on Jan. 1.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
Reader Comments(0)