Salina Public Schools adopts new policy on classroom displays

The USD 305 School Board approved a handful of new policies Tuesday, including one that defines appropriate classroom displays for educators in the district.

The policy, named “IFB Classroom Displays,” will intend to provide clarity and guidance to staff about what an appropriate classroom display looks like. Materials displayed in and around a classroom are generally considered instructional materials and must comply with the school board’s guidance, the policy states.

Salina Public Schools first discussed this policy and seven other changes in a work session mid-January following its first meeting of the new year.

At the time, board members discussed slight modifications to existing policies surrounding topics like complaints of discrimination, truancy, suspension and expulsion, and others after a Kansas Association of School Boards review.

Eryn Wright, executive director of human resources and legal services at USD 305, said the new Classroom Displays policy came after the KASB review, which happens periodically to help districts adopt relevant policies to current issues in K-12 education in the state and beyond.

These policy changes were unanimously approved by the board Feb. 15.

Classroom Displays policy aims to provide guidance to educators

Because classroom displays may reasonably be perceived as having the district’s approval, they are subject to control and restriction by the district, the new displays policy explains.

The policy states that classroom displays may be selected by the teacher and made their own, but each should be grade-level appropriate and align with the subject matter being taught. Materials not meeting these criteria are subject to removal by the principal.

It defines that classrooms are not public forums for the display or distribution of political, religious or personal viewpoints.

“Employees may not use classrooms for the posting or display of materials to promote or convey a political, religious or personal message,” the proposed policy reads.

However, the policy provides some flexibility on personal items, like photos and decorations, that are on an educator’s desk and surrounding personal area as long as the items no not disrupt the learning process.

“It does give a little bit of personal autonomy related to that space, but for the most part (the policy) clarifies that the classroom environment is under control of the district,” Wright said at the January works session.

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One way the Kansas Association of School Boards makes its suggested policy changes is by looking at issues that are currently affecting other school districts and how they approached situations, Wright said. Schools are not required to adopt or change policy based on its recommendations, but most of the suggestions are at least considered and brought before the district.

The new USD 305 policy comes at a time where the issue of classroom displays has gained attention through lawsuits in Florida and broader school policy debates across the nation.

On the local level, districts like Salina are adhering to advice from leaders in education who have experienced these broader issues. Some new policies, in turn, have reflected an intention to get ahead of potential conflicts.

Other minor policy changes

Salina Public Schools approved minor adjustments to provide clarity in policy language and definitions for seven policies Tuesday. These policies included topics of:

• Complaints of discrimination (for both staff and students)

• Non-school employment

• Support Programs

• Truancy

• Suspension and expulsion procedures

• General complaints

Salina Public Schools also elected to keep its Wednesday Night Activities policy. This policy was brought to the board by district staff with intention to delete or formally do away with, but its members instead elected to keep it.

The Wednesday Night Activities policy simply states: “No school activities will be scheduled on Wednesday nights without prior approval by the superintendent.”

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New dual credit courses will be available to students

Curtis Stevens, secondary director for USD 305, brought forward proposals to the school board Feb. 14 for dual enrollment course offerings that would address area industry needs and student interests beyond high school graduation.

The board unanimously approved the proposed offerings, which are part of the dental assistant program at Salina Area Technical College, and one offering through the Kansas State University PolyCATS program.

New courses that will be offered through Salina Tech include: introduction to anatomy and physiology, dental anatomy, and dental practice management. High school seniors at USD 305 will be eligible to enroll, providing them the opportunity to continue in the dental assistant program after graduation.

The KSU dual credit course offering is called “humanities through the arts.” It's an introduction to humanities, which explores the topic through the lens of painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, drama, music, dance, film and photography.

The new dual credit course comes in addition to the more than 110 courses currently offered as part of the PolyCATS package that USD 305 approved two years ago. Since its approval, the program, combined with other dual enrollment opportunities, has helped area students save a combined $300,000 in tuition, Stevens said.

“I like things like this that save people time,” Board member Mark Bandré said. “You take this, you have access to other classes even in advance, beyond what we agreed on. I think these are tremendous and I appreciate all the work to bring additional opportunities in.”

In addition to the new dual enrollment opportunities, Metals 2, an existing course at USD 305, will be added to the 2023 Summer High School classes, after board approval Tuesday.

Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022, primarily focusing on county government and education. You can reach him at kcalfee@gannett.com or on Twitter @calfee_kc.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina Schools adopts new policy on classroom displays