INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County School Board Tuesday night unanimously supported spending nearly $36,000 on a 4-year service that would help keep the district’s policies and procedures in compliance with changing state and federal laws.
The board approved an agreement with NEOLA Inc., which services districts throughout Florida and other states nationwide. As a “sole-provider” for the type of service it provides, the School District did not bid out the project.
“I’m very excited about the prospect,” Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Risk Management Pamela Lannon said of working with NEOLA to ensure the School Board’ policies are consistent throughout the district and its procedures square up with changing laws.
Lannon said that part of the service provided will be to have all the district’s policies and procedures, along with forms, available on the School District’s website, accessible to the public, as well as district employees.
Parents, for example, would be able to download the field trip or other forms as needed, she said. “It will make people so much more knowledgeable” on the rules that govern the district, Lannon said.
Both School Board members Carol Johnson and Matt McCain pointed to an expected cost savings to the district by working with NEOLA as reasons for their support of the request.
McCain said that one of the hot-button issues several years ago was the high cost of legal fees at the district. He explained that part of that reason was because the School Board’s outside attorneys were tapped to go through the policies and procedures and bring them up to date.
“This will save us a tremendous amount of money,” McCain said.
In other School Board action Tuesday night, the board scheduled a number of public hearings for its meeting on Feb. 14, beginning at 6 p.m.
Schools Superintendent Dr. Fran Adams explained to the board that many of the hearings are required due to recent changes to state and federal laws.
The hearings are as follows:
- New School Board Policy 2.311 Weapons on School Board Property: The purpose of the policy is to establish general prohibitions in regard to the possession of weapons on School Board property by everyone other than law enforcement.
- New School Board Policy 3.071 Certification of Adjunct Educators: The purpose of the policy is for the issuance of certificates and establishing standards for adjunct educators in compliance with §1012.57 F.S
- Revisions of School Board Policy 3.15 Resignations and 4.28 Resignation: The purpose of the revisions is to revise language change to human resources; and, when possible, an exit interview prior to last day of employment with data reported to School Board. Language revisions are identical for both policies.
- New School Board Policy 2.312 Service Animals in Schools: The purpose is to establish a policy to comply with federal law for requests to bring a service animal onto school property or to a school event.
- New School Board Policy 2.313 Animals on Campus: The purpose of the policy is to address bringing an animal onto campus for a curriculum or instructional program.
- New School Board Policy 5.41 Use of Time Out, Physical Restraint, or Seclusion for Students with Disabilities: The purpose of the policy is to set standards for the use of restraints and seclusion for students with disabilities in compliance with §1003.573 F.S.
- Revision to School Board Policy 7.21 Budget Amendments: The purpose of revision is to comply with the new requirement to post any adopted budget amendments to School Board website within five days after adoption as per §1011.03 F.S.
- Revision to School Board Policy 7.29 Fund Balance: The purpose of the revision is to comply with the new requirement by changing nomenclature used for “unreserved fund balance” to “ending fund balance not classified as restricted, committed, or non-spendable” as per §1011.051 F.S.
- Revision of School Board Policy 9.01, The School Food and Nutrition Service Program: The purpose of the revision is to update Florida Statute reference §570.981 F.S., to reflect that Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will oversee Florida’s school nutrition program.
- Revision of School Board Policy 9.02 Operation of the School Food and Nutrition Service Program: The purpose of the revision is to update Florida Statute reference §570.981 F.S., to reflect that Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will oversee Florida’s school nutrition program.
- Revision to School Board Policy 9.24 Wellness Policy: The purpose of the revision is to add a requirement to report, at least annually, to the District School Board.
- Revision to School Board Policy 10.04 Smoking in Buildings: The purpose of the revision is to establish a commencement date of 2012-2013 fiscal year that all uses of tobacco products in any form are prohibited in any School Board owned facility or vehicle, on School Board owned property, or at any School Board sponsored event.
