The April edition of the WSSDA Policy and Legal News focused on issues of the first amendment and free speech. There were several discretionary policies that were presented for consideration. As you read through the Policy and Legal News, please let me know if there are any of these discretionary policies that you wish to review and/or consider, and I will make sure you receive a copy. This area of law and policy is evolving, and my advice to the board would be to consult with our attorney for a review of any of these first-amendment-related policies.
Both policies presented for consideration for revision are the only ones identified as "Essential" by WSSDA.
Policy 4210–Regulation of Dangerous Weapons on School Premises
Category: ESSENTIAL
After receiving feedback that the “exceptions” section of the model policy was unclear, WSSDA revised both the model policy and procedure. The revisions clarify that a person with a concealed weapons permit may carry a weapon on school property, but only outside of school buildings, or when picking up/ dropping off students, or when attending a board meeting off-campus. This clarification aligns with House Bill 1630 (2022), which is now incorporated in RCW 9.41.280(3)(e).
Policy 5001–Hiring of Retired School Employees
WSSDA has revised this model policy to correct a scrivener error. Specifically, in a few places, the policy stated “one calendar year” when it was supposed to state “one calendar month.”