Code Number: 907
The District believes that student learning is the heart of its core mission. While traditional in-person teaching continues to provide the greatest learning opportunity to all students, there may be rare and unusual circumstances that prevent the school community from convening in traditional in-person settings. At times of a public emergency declared by federal, state, or local officials, the District will seek guidance and recommendations from federal, state, and local agencies to assist in determining the safety of convening traditional in-person learning.
During a declared public emergency, the Board delegates to the Superintendent or his/her designee the authority to determine whether to close school buildings or classrooms to traditional in-person learning and utilize remote or hybrid learning opportunities as permitted by law. The Superintendent or his/her designee is further authorized, in conjunction with such determination, to direct staff assignments including but not limited to essential employees who must report to work, employees who may be reassigned, and employees whose services are not needed.
Following guidance and recommendations from federal, state, and local agencies when reasonably possible, the Superintendent or his/her designee will create administrative regulations related to District operations during a public emergency. Such regulations may include student, employee and visitor safety and security; the use and safeguarding of District property; public meetings and events, and when applicable, measures to prevent or slow the spread of infectious disease. The Superintendent will report any such administrative regulations to the Board as soon as feasible and appropriate under the circumstances. Any such regulations which contradict or vary Board policy shall require Board approval prior to implementation.
Such regulations will be enforced for the period of time of the public emergency, or until the Superintendent or his/her designee, in consultation with federal, state, and local agencies determine it is appropriate for the measures to end.
The Board will suspend provisions of any Board policies and/or whole policies, as identified by the District Superintendent or his/her designee if such suspension is necessary to implement written guidance or directives from federal, state, or local agencies relating to the public emergency.
In the interest of public health and/or to comply with federal or state health department recommendations or guidance, the Board may limit the number of people who can physically attend Board meetings and instead encourage the public to access its open public meetings via the live stream from the District website or other options that may be available; the Board may also limit public comment to written or telephonic comments submitted via the District’s online Public Comment Form 204.15-E.
The Board reserves the right to adjust Board (and Board committee) meeting dates, times, and locations during any District-wide emergency in a manner consistent with the Open Meetings law, and notes that any or all Board members may attend Board meetings electronically as permitted by law.
- First Adoption:
- 2020-09-14
- Reviewed Dates:
- August 18, 2020
- Legal Reference:
-
Senate File 2310
Iowa Code §§ 21.8; 279.8