Policies at center of Albert Lea school board meeting

The Albert Lea school board reviewed a series of policy changes Monday night that mostly go hand-in-hand with changes approved at the state Legislature.

Policies referenced everything from dress and appearance to literacy, attendance, student discipline and school resource officers, among others.

Regarding dress and appearance, the policy updates language to specify that inappropriate clothing is any clothing causing a disruption to the learning environment. It also allows American Indian students to wear American Indian regalia, tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance at a graduation ceremony, said Ashley Mattson, executive director of human resources for the district.

Regarding Policy 503, which deals with student attendance, the changes reflect a religious observance accommodation and lay out definitions of what it means to be continuing truant and making sure that lines up with the student handbooks for the upcoming year.

Changes to Policy 506, which deals with student discipline, include revisions to reflect the 2024 statutory changes, involving reasonable force and removing the word “imminent” several times in front of “bodily harm.”

The policy allows principals, teachers and other personnel acting on behalf of the school district to use reasonable force when necessary to “correct or restrain a student to prevent bodily harm or death to the student or another.” This does not include school resource officers.

Reasonable force does not include the prone restraint.

Policy 507 deals with corporal punishment and prone restraint and reflects the 2024 statutory changes. Mattson said the changes list out what reasonable force means and a definition of an “employee or agent of the district.” A school resource officer is not included.

The policy states, “Reasonable force may be used upon or toward the person of another without the other’s consent when used by a teacher, school principal, school employee, school bus driver or other agent of the school in the exercise of lawful authority to restrain a child or pupil to prevent bodily harm or death to the child, pupil or another.”

Policy 507.5 deals with school resource officers and their requirements and duties.

Policy 621 deals with literacy and The READ Act. It includes a local literacy plan, as well as guidelines for staff training and development.

Mattson said the goal of the law is to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level.

A local policy regarding homebound students is being rescinded. The district will follow a state law recently passed about the topic that addresses instructional services and eligibility.

In other action, the school board:

• Went into closed session to evaluate Superintendent Ron Wagner.

More information will likely be presented about the evaluation at the next meeting.

• Approved property tax abatement for school district taxes for four properties, including three near Wedgewood Cove.

Under the program, any person who obtains formal approval from the appropriate local jurisdictions between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2026, is eligible to receive up to 100% tax abatement of the increased real estate taxes resulting from the renovated housing unit of the increment value over three years, said Jennifer Walsh, executive director of finance and operations for the district. There is also the potential of an additional three years at 50%.

• Moved the Aug. 5 meeting to Aug. 12 because of a conflict with the Minnesota School Board Association summer seminar.

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