Adopted: October 1986
Revised: November 2023
Download 205.1AR - Development and Adoption of District Policies, Regulations and Procedures
1. Development of New or Revised District Policies
1.1 Proposals for new policies or revisions of current policies may be initiated in writing by anyone interested in or connected with the district, and presented to any member of the School Board or the superintendent.
1.2 The proposed policy or policy amendment shall be reviewed and, as appropriate, rejected or revised, by the superintendent or his or her designee and the board chairperson and/or the School Board Policy Review Committee or other appropriate School Board committee.
2. Adoption of New or Revised Policies
District policies will be adopted by an affirmative vote of the School Board.
2.1 In the following circumstances, proposed policies or policy amendments will be presented to the board for discussion and action at the same board meeting:
2.1.1 When changes in state or federal laws or regulations require the board to adopt a new or amended policy;
2.1.2 When emergency conditions result in the need for a new or amended policy as soon as possible;
2.1.3 When deemed necessary by the board chairperson, based on a recommendation from the superintendent, and
2.1.4 When revisions are of a routine nature without substantive changes to the educational process or business of the district.
2.2 In other circumstances, policies or policy amendments will be adopted using the process described below:
2.2.1 New Business item – First reading by School Board; discussion; report from the appropriate board committee, persons or groups responsible for administering the policy or those involved with policy development; directions for redrafting.
2.2.2 Old Business item – Action item at a subsequent board meeting.
2.2.3 Changes to the proposed policy or amendment at or after the first reading will not require repetition of the sequence unless the School Board so directs.
2.2.4 The formal adoption of district policies will be recorded in the minutes of the board meeting. Only those written policies so adopted and so recorded will be regarded as the official district policy of the School Board.
3. Effective Date
Policies will be effective immediately upon adoption unless a specific effective date is provided in the motion to adopt.
4. Communications
4.1 As much as possible, persons affected by the proposed policy or amendment will be given the opportunity to become familiar with the proposed new policy or policy amendment before it becomes effective.
4.2 Persons affected by a newly adopted policy or policy amendment will be informed about it through regular district communications channels.
5. Regulations and Procedures
5.1 The superintendent’s cabinet will review and approve new regulations and revisions to regulations.
5.2 The legal department will review and approve new procedures and revisions to procedures in consultation with appropriate administrators.
5.3 Persons affected by a newly adopted regulation or procedure or amendment to a regulation or procedure will be informed through regular district communications channels.
5.4 Regulations and procedures that are also forms seeking information or signature may be offered in an electronic format. The electronic format will be substantially similar to the written regulation or procedure.
6. Authority to Waive or Modify Administrative Regulations and Procedures
The superintendent has the authority to temporarily waive or modify the requirements of an administrative regulation or procedure as necessary due to pandemic or other emergency. This authority is in addition to any authority included within individual administrative regulations to grant exceptions. The superintendent may not waive or modify a provision in an administrative regulation or procedure that is specifically required by state or federal law or regulation still in effect.