RecordingTranscript available16:56

School District 191 Policy Committee - Nov. 18, 2025

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School DistrictWednesday, November 19, 2025
Watch on original source

Document Analysis

Analyze the transcript to extract topics, key quotes, people, and more — then generate focused stories for any topic.

Transcript
Good evening. I'd like to call to order tonight's meeting of ISD 191's uh schoolboard policy review committee. Uh the date is November 18th, 2025 and the time is uh 5:00 pm. I'd like to start by welcoming those of us who those who are joining us in person as well as folks who might be watching from home. Thank you for joining us. Uh we will start with policies with changes and uh we'll begin tonight with policy 515 protection and privacy of public records with Dr. Dr. Chris Belmont, assistant superintendent. Welcome, Dr. Belmont. >> Thank you, Committee Chair Alt. Um, good evening to everyone. This policy, uh, should be pretty quick for the committee to review. Um if you recall it um one of our recent meetings we just uh the committee noted that as we were revamping this policy we included the language but is not limited to and after reviewing that that language is unnecessary and unhelpful. So >> took it out. >> Thank you. Any comments or questions? No. No. >> All right. Thank you. Uh this will be on first reading. Uh next we will move to the regulation for policy 602 organization of the school calendar and staying with Dr. Belmont. >> Thank you. Um so no changes to propose for policy 602 itself but just in looking at our regulations. Um co-f facilitator um Drewi and I saw some opportunities that we could use especially as we go into our next season of reviewing um and looking at recommendations for the 202728 calendar. Um specifically we thought we could um I thought we could maybe strike where it says the dates. it's kind of inconsistent with most policies and regulations as we saw it. And then um adding language around scheduling or trying to avoid days with predictably low attendance. So to kind of match some of the conversations that have occurred at the at the calendar task force and um you know and we we did talk a little bit about graduation on Friday as that's so that may potentially come forward in the future but for now we left it because our current past practice has been Friday >> and it does say preference not requirement. >> Yes. So, it's we take the preferences seriously, but we're grateful that there's enough flexibility if we need to make adjustments. So, yeah, good point. >> I noticed the same thing as far as just Yep. It's in the preferences section. So, [laughter] >> any other comments or questions? >> All right. Uh, this will also be on first reading. Thank you. Uh, moving right along to policy 519, interview of students by outside agencies with Dr. Belmont. Thank you, chair. Um, last legislative session expanded or clarified some of the roles around these interviews for report of malreatment of minors. um giving designated um the designated welfare agency or law enforcement agency to conduct interviews um at any facility or other place where the alleged victim or other children might be found or the child may be transported to and the interview may be connect conducted at a place appropriate for the interview of a child designated by the local welfare agency or law enforcement agency. So MSBA transferred that new statute language and proposed this policy change. Um, a couple other minor shifts in verbiage occur in section 3C and in 3D. Okay. Thank you. Questions, comments? Um, just a curiosity question, Dr. Belmont. Um, did MSBA often times we talk about uh referencing statute as opposed to putting statute um into, you know, the the actual language into writing. Did they mention why um they're not referencing statute as opposed to putting lang the the language itself into policy? It's not a make or break, but it's just kind of a curious curiosity question. question trying to see which specifically which statute 260E 22. So it is listed in the legal references [music] that statute. So I think it was a shift within >> within a within a statute not a additional piece. Um, but I agree sometimes we do see the statute clearly named. I don't know. I I'd have to ask what their filter is for that. I don't know. >> And it's fine. I was just just more curious. It's it's perfectly fine as is. It's policy. Um, all right. So, this one will also be on first reading. Uh, next, uh, policy 417. Thank you, Dr. Belmont. >> Thank you. uh policy 417 chemical use and abuse with Stacy Sovine, executive director of administrative services. Welcome, Stacy. >> Good evening. Good evening. Uh 417. Uh just a little bit of housekeeping with that one. We have a phrase that is duplicated on article 4 uh C2 and then also just updates to the cross reference questions. All right, I did not have any questions. So first reading. Uh, next we have policy 709, uh, student transportation safety policy. Staying with Stacy, >> again, just rewarding on some of the sections or titles. Also rephrasing um, using the term disability instead of uh, the term handicapping condition near the end of this policy. Uh, these are all MSBA recommendations on this on this as well. questions. All right, first reading. [snorts] Uh, next we're staying with Stacy with policy 712, uh, video surveillance other than on on other than on buses. >> Um, so changing the term surveillance to a more specific term um of recording. many devices can record. It's not just the surveillance cameras which we may use. This is per MSBA's uh recommendations. Also, [snorts] um clarifying the video recording rule in article 2A uh three. And one thing I do want to point out, we are removing language in the policy about surveillance in restrooms or locker rooms. We have never had any surveillance in restrooms or locker rooms. So, um, while we're we're cleaning that piece up, just rest assured this isn't going to change any action in which we're doing it. Really is terminology. >> Thank you. Questions or comments? [snorts] >> That's my question. You answered it. So, I'm good. >> Okay. First reading, please. Moving right along to policy 722 with Stacy uh public data requests. So this is um a reflection of a new statute uh just as conversation that we having earlier and what the new statute is identifying is um it's become quite burdensome to many governmental agencies specifically school districts with all of the huge huge data requests that have been coming our way and at this point in time what's happening are with the new law what occurs in is a district can set forth and and start the process and then invite the the person that requested the information to come in, review the data, pay for the the request without doing the whole thing all at once. And if you know, if the person doesn't come in and either pay for the information or review it, then the practice can be suspended for the rest of the data request. It's just to help with um checking sincerity on the request, the data request without putting all of the invested hours into into doing it. So that is the biggest change that occurred within this section. Everything else is pretty much just um adding some language around 10 10 and such putting words in for place for um ease of reading. >> Great. Thank you for that additional context. Questions or comments? >> Like we're having a down payment of time or money in order to >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> A good change. >> Yep. Helpful. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I definitely understand and agree with the reasons for having it included. >> Yeah. All right. I agree with my committee members. Uh first reading, please. All right, last one with Stacy. Uh policy 410, family and medical leave policy. Uh this isn't a recommendation that came from MSBA, but it is one in which I am recommending that we add the uh what intermittent leave and the increments in which it shall be awarded. It'll either be awarded in eight hour increments or what a person's um average daily assignment would reflect their daily shift. This primarily uh is for like EAS, food service employees who may only have 3 and 1/2 hour 5 hour shifts, not a full 8 hour shift. But the idea is that if uh incremental leave is awarded um either through the Minnesota Paid Family Leave Act or whether it's requested from a doctor for intermittent leave, we will do so, but we will do so in daily shifts at a daily amount. >> Okay, thank you. Questions? >> It's good to have that clarification. How to be specific. >> Okay. Uh so that will be first reading. Thank you Stacy. >> Yep. >> Uh next we will move to policy 513 with Dr. Belmont. Uh student promotion retention and program design. Welcome back Dr. Bill. >> Thank you. Um this one I uh no substantive changes besides some legal references. Um, my understanding is curriculum review enrollment was a big topic at the statute at the statutory level last spring. So, they added some language that pertains to this. >> Okay, great. Comments, questions? Okay. Uh, I didn't have any either. So, first reading, please. Uh, staying with Dr. Belmont policy 606 textbooks instructional resources and library materials. >> Thank you chair. Um I think this one also a topic of conversation at the last legislative session around parental access to survey data um or anything that's part of evaluation of um applicable programming shall be available to the parents or guardians of the students. So, this language came from MSBA in response to that. >> Okay. Thank you. Comments, questions. >> Pretty straightforward. >> Not a real exciting policy tonight. >> That's okay. It's >> good to have clarity. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> It is. Yes. All right. So, uh first reading, please. >> Okay. >> Great. Uh next we have uh policy 306 uh administrator code of ethics with Dr. Daniels. >> Good evening director Alt um director Mickelson and also director Hume. I am presenting this policy um with changes basically with MSBA supplanting language that was from the National Association of Elementary School Principles and replacing it with MSBA code of ethics. Okay, questions or comments kind of seem mostly just different presentation of the same types of topics. So, no problem. >> Yeah, I didn't have any questions. It seemed pretty pretty straightforward. >> Um, so we will have that on first reading as well. And then lastly, we have policies with no changes. And there's just one, um, policy 520, uh, student surveys. And Dr. Belmont comes back one last time. >> So, um, I believe director Oftall mention So, thank you. I believe director Ofall mentioned that this is up for just a regular cycle, uh, review to the committee and no changes to recommend at this time. >> Okay, great. Any comments? >> All right. And this one will go on consent. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh Sarah, do you have what you need? >> So, first reading for December 11th meeting and one consent. >> Yes, ma'am. All right. We we will consider ourselves adjourned. Thanks, everybody.