By Kellen Olshefski
SLN Staff
The Elkhorn Area School District Board of Education took its first look at several policy changes for the district Monday night, including homebound instruction, use of school parking lots and early graduation requirements.
Director of Pupil Services Rita Geilfuss said Monday night with a variety of reasons students might need homebound instruction and it behooves the district to have the policy to make sure all are aware of what the district must do.
Under the policy, parents would be required to submit a Homebound Instruction form (PI-2217) completed by a physician in order for the district to consider the request.
District Administrator Jason Tadlock said this policy is intended for students with an illness prohibiting them from being able to physically attend school. If under verified medical care, Tadlock said the school district would set up a plan to ensure students receive the instruction they need so they can “stay on top of their studies” while they are out of school.
Geilfuss said with the doctor filling out the PI-2217, it’s been a positive experience. However, Geilfuss noted doctors cannot prescribe homebound instruction, only recommend it.
“It gives the school a lot more direction, so that becomes very helpful in both situations,” she said. “We certainly don’t want someone attending who’s too ill or too sick and it would make matters worse. On the other hand, if the parents or a child is saying they can’t come to school and a doctor is saying they can, then we want to look for other avenues to help the child be attending school.”
As for the use of district parking lots, the updated policy would require non-school affiliated groups to share at least 50 percent of funds raised during fundraising events in school properties with the school district, to be used to support district programs and its students. Under the updated policy, groups could be exempt from the contribution if they have already provided an annual gift to the district.
The policy also sets guidelines as to what groups would get priority use of school parking lots, with school-sponsored groups, booster clubs, PTA’s and PTO’s at the top of the list.
Non-profit community groups in which 80 percent of its participants are Elkhorn residents or students would get second priority on the list. Non-community, non-profit groups would get third priority and for profit organizations would have last priority.
Non-profit groups would be required to have 501(c)(3) status.
In switching to trimesters in the upcoming academic year, the school district’s early graduation policy also required some updates, to reflect the changing schedule.
With a students final rank in class being previously determined by eight semesters and the new policy determining it off of 12 trimesters, Board Member Scott Beatse questioned how this would be calculated for students who are already in high school.
“We won’t have 12 trimesters until the freshman who start next year go four years,” he said.
Board members agreed this topic needed clarification before it comes back to the board for a second reading.
All policies discussed Monday are expected to come back before the school board at its next meeting for a second reading, at which time the board could opt to approve them.
