D.167 board to revamp district's policy manual

GLENWOOD | The Brookwood Elementary District 167 School Board on Monday held the first of five meetings to update its board policy manual by the start of next school year.

Brian Zumpf, a policy consultant for the Illinois Association of School Boards, asked the board basic questions regarding current district procedures. No definite adjustments to district policies were made, and Zumpf will use the answers he received to create a draft of a manual for final board approval.

Among the topics discussed was the district's policy on volunteers. Zumpf asked if the board wants to create a policy that would forbid the use of convicted felons as volunteers.

Superintendent Pamela Hollich said the district does not currently require volunteers to undergo background checks.

"It's highly recommended, but it's not state statute that you must," Hollich said.

Board member John Dixon said the district should require the background checks, but Hollich cautioned that it would discourage volunteers.

"We're at a point in time where we're trying to encourage as many volunteers, and it throws an extra step in," Hollich said.

Each background check would cost the district $45, Hollich said.

The topic of what movies are allowed to be shown to students also was discussed.

Zumpf said the showing of an R-rated movie requires the approval of the superintendent or another designated person. He asked if the board wanted a policy that would give parents or guardians an opportunity to request that their children not participate in a class showing R-rated media materials.

Hollich said the district's current practice is to not allow the showing of R-rated movies.

"Actually, I would prefer just a PG, not even PG-13, but that's hard to come by, I understand," Hollich said.

Zumpf asked if the board would like to give parents and guardians the option to not allow their children to view a PG-13 movie.

"I think parents should have a right to opt out at any time," board President Deborah Birmingham said.

Hollich said she would like to see the district's policy on movies as restrictive as possible, in part because the showing of a movie can take up a couple of hours of classroom instruction time.

"Why not go to the Field Museum, to their virtual museum site, and get the information a different way and not use popular movies?" Hollich asked. "I really don't like to see our time spent on popular movies."

The new policy manual will be available for viewing on the district website once completed.

"It hasn't been redone for six years, and that's actually pretty typical of boards," Hollich said.