The International Falls School Board is expected to receive a new bullying policy that addresses cyber bullying at its meeting Monday.
The meeting is set for 5 p.m. at the Falls High School library. An agenda is considered tentative until the government body begins the meeting and makes additions or deletions to the proposed agenda.
Consideration of the revised bullying policy is slated for June’s meeting; the board will receive a preliminary draft at Monday’s meeting.
The current bullying policy for the Falls School District has not been revised since 2003.
In its proposed revisions, the policy includes a section on bullying through email, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images, website postings or blog postings, and other “misuse of technology including, but not limited to, teasing, intimidating, defaming, threatening or terrorizing another student, teacher, administrator, volunteer, contractor or other employee of the school district.”
School policies addressing cyber bullying are recommended by the U.S. Department of Education and bullypolice.org, according to the preliminary draft of the district’s new bullying policy.
The proposed policy includes bullying a group of students in its definition of bullying, and adds “intimidating a student or group of students” to the policy’s definition of bullying. Also new to the definition is “perpetuating bullying by inciting, soliciting or coercing an individual or group to demean, dehumanize, embarrass or cause emotional, psychological or physical harm to another person.”
Highlighted in the draft is a statement explaining the school district’s limited ability to take action against bullying when the bullying is based solely on an anonymous report. Also, school district personnel who do not report bullying would be subject to disciplinary action, according to the proposal.
The draft includes the district offering resources such as counseling or other mental health services to both the victims and perpetrators of bullying.
In other policy business, the board is expected to receive a student activity policy and a revised heath and safety policy for action in June.
In personnel business, the board is expected to consider the nonrenewal of teaching contract of probationary special education teacher Wendy Mayer. Further information was not released from the district on the reason for nonrenewal.
In recent contract nonrenewals due to budget cuts, five teachers were laid off. One teacher considered for layoff, Beth Shermoen, was removed from the list at a special meeting this month. Shermoen was kept on staff after space opened up because of another teacher’s resignation.
The remaining probationary teachers’ contracts are expected to be considered for renewal at Monday’s meeting. In addition to Beth Shermoen, the board is expected to renew contracts of probationary teachers Katherine Anderson, Amanda Baron, Katie Hamers, Molly Pavleck, Elizabeth Strandberg, Heather Sunsvold and Jennifer Wenberg-Anderson.
The board is scheduled to consider granting tenure to three teachers and a school nurse at the meeting. Personnel up for tenure are Michelle Boelk, music teacher; Shawn Johnson, special education teacher; Susan Palm, school nurse; and Heidi Thompson, special education teacher.
The board is also expected to consider the resignations due to retirement of teachers Susan Savard, Falls High School English teacher; and Debra Ciminski, Falls High School art teacher. The resignations would be effective June 1.
The final expenditure and revenue budgets for the district for fiscal year 2011-12 and the tentative budgets for fiscal year 2012-13 are expected to be presented for adoption in June.
The board is expected to consider a draft of the “Reading Well by 3rd Grade Initiative.” Superintendent Jeff Peura is expected to announce the intention of the Local 510 union of district secretaries, custodians and food service staff to negotiate their contracts. Last year, the union agreed to take a one-year contract instead of the typical two years, to allow the district time to plan its budget.
