Bartholomew Consolidated School Board members gathered Monday to talk through the seventh and final batch of policies they are considering as part of an ongoing consolidation process.
During the work session, school board members didn’t vote on any policy in particular, but did talk through 28 of them. The policies will need to be approved twice to be finalized, with the first reading during the school board meeting on Oct. 20 and potential second reading set for Nov. 17.
The consolidation — which began in earnest in August 2024 — is part of a wider reorganization, meant to simplify and streamline BCSC’s policy structure and eliminate any redundancies, school district officials have said.
Board members voted in July 2024 to terminate an agreement with NEOLA, the education consulting firm that assisted with BCSC policies previously, and approve an agreement with Indianapolis-based firm Church Church Hittle and Antrim as a replacement.
The firm is managing BCSC’s board policy platform and will update policies based on changes in state and federal legislation, as well as changes in case law.
A representative from the Church Church Hittle and Antrim was on hand to answer any specific questions board members had about the drivers behind a given policy or its language.
Most of the polices being considered are comprised of previous NEOLA policies, but a couple of them are new and in response to changes on the state and federal level.
The following are the policies members discussed, along with anything notable about them or if they are a departure from previous BCSC practice:
- B200: Membership: Changes age of eligibility to be a school board member from 21 to 18. In addition, if a school board member who declares a political party vacates their position, that person’s political party fills the vacancy via caucus. Also will give board members the option to raise their salary from $2,000 to $5,000 in January 2026. All three were a result of changes made by the state legislature last session.
- B225: Board Meetings
- B250: School Board Member Ethics
- C200: Anti-Bullying: Adds a timeline of two days for when parental notification is required after a designated school administrator receives a report of suspected bullying. The new timeline is a result of changes made by the state legislature.
- C225: Parental Access to Instructional Material and Surveys: Changes aim to increase participation in the Indiana Youth Survey. The survey, conducted every two years, is administered by the Institute for Research and Addictive Behavior (IRAB) at Indiana University and used by districts to to develop mental health supports and/or programs to curb behaviors including vaping, underage alcohol use etc.
- C250: Title I Parent and Family Engagement
- C600: Withdraw from School
- D125: Evaluation of Superintendent
- D300: Alcohol and Controlled Substance Policy for Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and Safety Sensitive Positions
- D400: Family and Medical Leave
- D500: School Resource Office Employment and Training: A new policy. Outlines training requirements for school resource offices and school security officers.
- E175: Student Records
- F100: Internal Controls and Reporting Losses, Shortages, Variances, or Thefts
- F175: Collection and Forgiveness of Debts (Bad Debt)
- F225: Fundraising and Crowdfunding: Aims to balance allowing staff and student organizations to fundraise — particularly online — while also protecting the district from potential inappropriate activity such as fraud or theft. Sets crowd source fundraising limit of $5,000 per solicitation.
- F300: Time and Effort
- G100 Facility and Transportation Training
- G125: Criminal Organizational Activity
- G175: Chemical Management and Preparedness for Toxic Hazard
- G200: Environmental Health and Safety Issues
- G350: Audio Video and Digital Recording of Meetings
- G400: Title I Comparability Policy
- G475: Prohibition of Unmanned Aircraft (Drones): Drones are not allowed on BCSC property unless permission is given first by the district.
- G500: Intellectual Property Ownership and Revenue: Outlines that 50% of revenues generated from materials that a BCSC teacher created during work hours would remain with that teacher.
- H150: Public Records
- H200: Relations with Special Interest Groups
- H225: Public Participation at Board Meetings
- H250: School Library Material Removal Request Procedure: Adopted two years ago by the board. Copied directly from NEOLA Policy 9130. No changes.
