Duplin school board looks at policies
By From staff reports
Published in News on January 27, 2011 1:46 PM
At its meeting last week, the Duplin County Board of Education continued its efforts to update and streamline the board's policies.
Speaking to the members was Janine Murphy, assistant legal counsel at the North Carolina School Boards Association. Ms. Murphy and NCSBA staff attorney Nancy Black will work with the Duplin school system over the next year or more to help convert the board's policy manual.
The Duplin County school system has 508 policies in place through alphabetical organization. Ms. Murphy reported finding many policies up-to-date, but also some that are older and should be reviewed, revised, consolidated or otherwise overhauled, she said.
The process will take about a year and a half as the two groups evaluate, section by section, the existing policy and update it as needed. The NCSBA will tell the board what is required by federal or state law.
The review process will also update the standards, and the board will have the option of subscribing to the NCSBA's automatic update service, so new changes can be seamlessly incorporated in the future, she said.
The NCSBA will likely send the Board of Education one section at a time to review and make any necessary changes before approving it.
In other business:
*School Superintendent Austin Obasohan informed the board members that the county schools have reached the state limit for using optional workdays as make-up days for inclement weather school cancellations. If the schools have to close again for further inclement weather, they will have no choice but to hold Saturday school sessions to make up the time, Obasohan said.
*The schools started their strategic planning processes and Obasohan expects the plans to be completed before the end of the school year.
*The next joint meeting of the Duplin County Board of Education and the Duplin County Commissioners was set for Feb. 2 at 7:30 a.m.