The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Student Code of Conduct changes await U-46 vote

By Seth Hancock
  Superintendent Tony Sanders admitted that School District U-46 likely has little power to discipline students for not wearing face masks in a memo to the Board of Education at its Monday, Aug. 9 meeting.
  Changes to the Student Code of Conduct were presented, with a board vote expected on Aug. 23. The code makes efforts in expressing a desire not to discipline students generally, including changing the phrase “student discipline” to “culture and climate” throughout, but officials expressed their desires to punish children for not wearing a face mask.
  In an email, board member Kate Thommes said the code should not be objective but rather “general” and asked if it gives “us authority to discipline students who refuse to wear masks?”
  Sanders responded that the “disruptive clothing or appearance” infraction includes “explicit references to a health threat” which “should suffice for addressing the majority of mask-wearing incidents.” It also includes a “non-compliance with staff directive” infraction which replaces the “defiance/disrespect/insubordination/non-compliance” infraction.
  However, Sanders wrote there “may be difficulty with the level of response applied” with only level 1/2 responses allowed, which are teacher level responses.
  “This may not suffice for continued or intentional non-compliance,” Sanders wrote. “Our Legal Office is working to provide guidance to administrators and teachers for addressing mask non-compliance.”
  Level 1 includes disciplines from warning to restorative circle/conference/conversation. Level 2 ranges from parent/guardian accompanies child to class to parking permit revocation.
  A memo from Robin Barraza, coordinator of culture and climate, stated changes include updates to pronouns “from gender specific to ‘they’ and ‘their’ throughout” while it removes the “Individuals with Disabilities Act” regarding protecting student rights changing it with “state and federal law.” Sanders said “it actually expands it to incorporate all state and federal laws” when asked by board member Dawn Martin.
  From the “District U-46 Does Not” page of the code, it removes language that the district won’t “share individual student information with any other person than the student and parent guardian in accordance with Board Policy and state law,” Barraza stating “as it is not an accurate description of our practice.” The implication is the district does “share individual student information” beyond the students/parents.
  The code removes the “disrespect towards others” infraction which board member Melissa Owens questioned. Barraza said it’s “redundant” as its “included in the infraction of ‘defiance/disrespect/insubordination/noncompliance,’” which is also being removed.