Anderson County School Board to finalize rules
Policies regarding drugs and background checks for school employees will be up for second and final reading at the Anderson County Board of Education meeting this Thursday, March 6, on the top floor of the Robert Jolley Building.
These are just some of the many policies the Board of Education approved on first reading in February.
In general, the board reviews policies regularly to be in keeping with state law, whether or not it plans to make changes.
Policies approved on first reading in February will be up for a second reading vote at March’s meeting.
The meetings are open for citizen comment.
All of the propsed these policies are available to read online in the agenda from the February meeting on acs.ac.
Background checks
The board approved on first reading a policy requiring background investigation for employees and contractors,as in previous years.
But the new policy requires explicitly stating that the school system pays for background checks for its employees, while the contractors who work for the school system pay for them regarding their own employees.
Drugs
Multiple policies regarding employees and drugs passed on first reading, but without changes from previous versions.
The board passed a policy on first reading that employees cannot use illegal drugs or alcohol while on school property or at school sponsored events or functions. However, it also goes further to ban “any lawful substances that could result in impairment of physical or mental capacity that is threatening to the health or safety of the employee or others.”
Another policy, again with no changes from last year, lists the reasons for which employees might have to take drug tests.
The school system will test them if they’re caught manufacturing, distributing, using or under the influence of the drugs.
Other reasons include physical impairment likely due to the drugs, changes in personal behavior, involvement or contribution to an accident where the school system might “reasonably” suspect drug involvement, or outright violation of criminal drug or alcohol statutes.
Testing
Under the policy that passed on first reading, the board requires a test for the purposes of grade placement or awarding credit when a student transfers into the district from certain types of private schools or from home-schooling.
Retention
The policy approved on first reading makes some changes in terms of time frame to how parents and guardians can appeal decisions a school makes to retain students in their grade levels.
They can make appeals within 10 days after the school system notifies them, to a committee appointed by the principal.
Summer programs
The board approved minor changes to the summer remedial school programs policy.
Specifically, under the new policy, students trying to move to fourth grade can only miss up to a total of three days from summer school.
