SAC CITY, IOWA – APRIL 19, 2011
On April 19, 2011 the East Sac County School Superintendent Dr. Kevin Fiene presented to the school board his recommendations regarding adoption of school board policies series 400 and 500.
His first recommendation was that, if it isn’t statutorily required, the board removes 400.23. This policy directs truancy officers to act on truancy on the direction of the principal and to place the student in the custody of the principal upon apprehension. It also directs the truancy officer to then attempt to contact the student’s parents.
His next recommendation is a modification to 501.5 which designates which school an elementary school student attends. Currently, it is the case that people can choose which school to send their children. The modification of 501.5 will designate which elementary school people are allowed to send their children to within the district based on geography. He made it clear that nothing will change for students who are currently attending school and that he would honor all of the current arrangements. Students currently attending in Wall Lake will stay in Wall Lake and students currently attending in Sac City will stay in Sac City.
Fiene indicated that he wanted to make sure that the graduation requirements listed in 505.5 are accurate, but didn’t recommend any specific changes.
Also up for alteration is policy 508.2. 508.2 is the policy that sets Wednesdays nights as “open night” which used to be called “church night” or “family night” and guarantees that for that one night every week, East Sac County School will not schedule extracurricular activities. Currently the wording in the policy states: “In keeping with good community relations, student school activities will not be scheduled on Wednesday night beyond 6 p.m. whenever possible.” Fiene’s recommendation is that the board remove the words “whenever possible” to strengthen this policy.
President Chuck Brotherton indicated that he has some reservation about strengthening this policy based on the fact that some of the state organizations to which ESC belongs and participates schedules Wednesday night activities. Removing the “whenever possible” and simply not showing up to these events would mean that the team would have to forfeit whatever contest was scheduled.
Curtis Bloes - Editor
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