New policies for students, staff at schools

Students and staff returning to campuses in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District soon will follow newly revised policies regarding tobacco products, discrimination and truancy, as school leadership wisely responds to rapid changes in technology, culture and law.

The district's five elected trustees approved first readings of the three policy revisions at the Aug. 20 meeting, with routine second readings scheduled at a Sept. 10 session.

Trends in tobacco technology have led to an expanded definition of tobacco products to be placed in the district's prior declaration of “tobacco free schools” for students, staff and all adult visitors, with a specific ban naming e-cigarettes, among other tobacco-related items.

Previously, the policy prohibited “the possession and/or use of any tobacco substances by students, staff or non-student adults while on school grounds, in school buildings or at school-sponsored activities, or while under the supervision and control of school district employees.”

Now, the revised policy adds as “prohibited products” any “containing tobacco or nicotine, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, miniature cigars, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chew, clove cigarettes and betel.” Also banned are “vaporizing delivery devices such as electronic cigarettes.”

Enforcement will include actions outlined in separate suspension and expulsion policies.

The revised non-discrimination policy adds several specific terms, including “gender identity” and “gender expression,” to the text that “guarantees equal employment and opportunity for advancement to all,” reflecting newer provisions in the state Education Code.

Previously, the “equal employment opportunity” policy listed “race, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, physical handicap, age or sex” as the banned basis for jobs or promotions.

Now, a lengthier list includes “the person's actual or perceived race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, med- ical condition, genetic information, veteran status, gender, gender identity, gender express-ion, sex or sexual orientation.”

Other new provisions outline various types of employment discrimination and “unwelcome verbal, physical or visual conduct” that could adversely affect employment opportunities or work performance or create “an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.”

Penalty for an offending employee or a worker who “aids, abets, incites, compels or coerces” another person to engage in banned behavior can be severe, “up to and including dismissal.”

The “attendance and excuses” policy adopted in 1968 and last revised in 1979 added seven sentences focusing on accurately tracking and monitoring attendance, developing strategies for prevention and early intervention and collaborating with community agencies.

Schools will work with students and parents to identify factors contributing to absenteeism and truancy and act with various agencies “to ensure that alternative education programs and nutrition, health care and other support services are available to intervene as necessary when students have serious attendance problems.”

But “as required by law,” habitual truants will be referred to an attendance review board, a county truancy mediation program and/or a juvenile court.