A revision of the Wayne Highlands School Board policy for pregnant and parenting students clarifies the amount of time a student may be absent if complications arise.
Superintendent Tom Jenkins said, “If a student is in school and complications develop and they bring a letter from a doctor, it’s considered the same as an illness, they can be absent legally and get homebound instruction. Then, once the baby is born, with verification of the date of birth from the doctor, they can be absent for up to six weeks while they recuperate and arrange for childcare and be entitled to homebound instruction.” At the end of the six weeks, the student must return to school or withdraw.
The Board also revised the district’s policy on Public Participation at Board meetings, removing wording that required a person to contact the superintendent seven days in advance of a meeting so they could be placed on the agenda. A public comment period is built into every meeting.
Also discussed
• Two Honesdale High School students were excluded from school for 180 days each for having knives on their person. “Nobody was injured. Nobody was assaulted with them. But they were apprehended with the knives in their possession in school. They admitted that they carried them with them all the time. They knew they weren’t supposed to,” Jenkins said.
They were two separate incidents, he said. “In one case, the knife was dropped on the bus and found. When the student was confronted, (he) admitted it belonged to him. In the other case, some other students came to the administration concerned that the student was visibly upset that morning for some reason. And that they knew that she carried a knife with her. So they were concerned for safety, for her safety,” Jenkins said.
• Jared Hayden and Tara Mack were added to the substitute teacher’s list.
• Danielle Adolfson and Maxine Deichler were added to the substitute secretary/ teacher assistant list.
• The retirement of Raymond School, a part-time custodian at Lakeside School, was accepted with regrets, effective January 1.
• Patricia Weidner was hired as a part-time custodian at the Stourbridge School effective November 18.
