Changes Announced for School Handbooks

Changes to the student handbooks were announced at the final school board meeting of the 2024-2025 school year, held Tuesday, June 3rd, in the Whitehall Elementary Library.

Elementary principal Kurtis Koenig noted changes in the elementary handbook were mainly updating to correspond with current legislation and removal/updating of old language. The most significant updates concerned:

• HB471 - 5th Grade Human Sexuality Lessons

• HB745 - parental consent prior to health screenings

• HB745 - all volunteers must pass a background check

•HB343 - Upon written request from a parent/guardian, the school district must allow students to be released from regular school attendance for at least one hour each week for religious instruction.

Middle school/high school principal Jason Slater noted that cell phones have been a hot topic nationwide and that the school has received input from both sides of the spectrum.

Beginning the new school year, cell phones will not be permitted from bell to bell - which means not during class passing times or lunch breaks. In the high school, it will be from the class bell to the class bell, with each teacher having their own “cell phone jail” rules for their classrooms. Slater also noted that the 2025-2026 class schedule will return to a 7-class schedule instead of the current 8-class block schedule.

The following items were declared obsolete and will be sold at auction shortly:

• Maintenance Dept.: Husqvarna 42” riding lawnmower

• Shop/FFA: Cherry picker/ engine hoist (missing wheel, needs new hydraulic cylinder), Delta 20-inch drill press (on/off switch needs to be replaced), working Miller thunderbolt Ac/Dc, Miller thunderbolt Ac/Dc (not sure if it works, older plug)

• Technology department: 10- Bytespeed Intel i5 no ram or Hard Drive, 10 iPads

• Library: 2 AV carts, VCR, Smaller TV monitor, Large JVC TV

• 21st Century Program: Fencing equipment (foils, helmets, pads)