Lakeville Schools Policy Updates: What's Changing

How Policy Review Is Changing

The board voted to eliminate the policy committee.

For the past few years, policies went through a two step process. First, a small policy committee reviewed them. Then the full board saw them. This meant discussing each policy twice.

Board members said this wasn't working well. They've been trying to update all district policies for three years and they're still not done.

The new process will work like this:

Minor Updates Go On Consent Agenda: If a policy just needs small edits to match state law or MSBA (Minnesota School Boards Association) recommendations, it goes on the consent agenda. The board can approve it quickly without lengthy discussion.

Major Changes Get Discussion Time: If a policy needs substantial changes that alter its intent, it gets a first reading at a regular meeting and discussion at a work session. Then it comes back for a second reading and vote.

Board Members Can Pull Items: At the beginning of each month, the district will send board members a list of policies coming up for approval. If someone wants to discuss a policy in depth, they can request it be scheduled for a work session instead of going on consent.

Board Chair Amber Cameron said their goal is to get the district in compliance with state law first. Then they can come back and revisit policies if they want to make bigger changes.

This streamlined approach is similar to what happened in Burnsville, where the Southwest Street project bills came in 31% lower than expected thanks to efficient project management.

Wellness Policy Moving Forward

The district's wellness policy hasn't been updated in years and is "quite out of compliance" according to district staff.

The policy covers things like:

• Nutrition education
• Physical activity requirements
• What foods can be served on campus
• Using food as rewards in classrooms

One question that came up: Should the policy mention childhood obesity?

Student Nutrition Director Kristen Rezac explained this language comes directly from federal law. The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 requires schools to address childhood obesity in their wellness policies.

The policy also encourages parents to send healthy meals and snacks, and recognizes the importance of offering culturally appropriate foods.

A school nurse emailed the board supporting the policy updates.

The wellness policy will come back for a second reading and vote at the next board meeting.

Hazing and Search Policies: The Parent Notification Debate

Two policies sparked the longest discussion of the night. Both deal with when the district has to notify parents before investigating students.

The question: Should policy require administrators to call parents before interviewing students about hazing incidents or searching lockers?

What The District Attorney Said:

The district's legal counsel recommended against adding language that requires parent notification before investigations. Here's why:

• There's no legal requirement to notify parents first
• It could delay investigations that need to happen quickly
• Parents could potentially interfere with student safety issues
• Administrators might need to immediately question students about weapons or other urgent safety concerns
• Administrators already have discretion to call parents when it makes sense

What Board Members Debated:

Some board members wanted stronger language about parent notification, especially in serious cases that could become criminal.

Board member Matt Swanson said if hazing becomes criminal, parents should definitely be notified before interviews. He worried about students not knowing their rights.

Board member Kim Baker pointed out that procedures in the student handbook already address when parents are contacted. She questioned if it needs to be in policy too.

Board member Carly Anderson said she trusts administrators to make the right call. The district doesn't get complaints about administrators failing to notify parents appropriately.

What Happens In Practice:

Students get a Tinetti warning before being questioned by administrators. This tells them their rights, that they don't have to answer questions, and how information will be used.

Administrators said they search students frequently. Just at the high school level, there are probably 5 to 10 bathroom checks per day, plus additional searches when students are in places they shouldn't be.

If administrators had to call parents before every search or interview, it would significantly slow down their work.

Executive Director Brenda Albert warned against putting language in policy that could hurt the district legally. If policy requires a phone call and an administrator forgets to make it, the district might not be able to defend itself.

The Solution:

The board asked staff to check what the student handbook already says about parent notification. If the procedures are clearly laid out there, they might not need to duplicate them in policy.

These policies will come back at the next meeting with information about what's in the handbook.

The Achievement and Integration Plan

This wasn't a policy update, but it's a major plan coming to the board for approval on February 24th.

Lakeville is now required to participate in the state's Achievement and Integration program. The district has been doing this voluntarily, but now their demographics have changed enough that it's mandatory.

The plan focuses on three areas:

Achievement Goal: Reading scores. The district is investing in reading interventionists at elementary schools and adding two EL (English Learner) coordinator positions to help teachers better serve EL students.

Integration Goal: Addressing disproportionate discipline. Black and brown students are suspended at much higher rates than white students. Year one will focus on getting better data. Years two and three will work on non-exclusionary discipline and restorative practices.

Teacher Equity Goal: Creating clearer vision and professional development around equitable teaching practices.

The plan costs about $1.9 million per year. The biggest expense is seven liaison positions that provide support to teachers, students and families.

This focus on equity and student support is part of a broader trend across Dakota County schools. District 196 recently made personal finance mandatory as part of their effort to better prepare students for life after graduation.

What's Next

The board meets again on February 24th. They'll vote on:

• The wellness policy (second reading)
• Hazing and search policies (possibly, depending on handbook review)
• The Achievement and Integration Plan
• Final approval of the revised budget

All meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the district website.

For more local government news, check out what's happening in other South Metro cities and read about Rosemount's new public works and police campus that just won a major national award.