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School board looks at closed district policy |
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Monday, 16 November 2009 |
By LESLIE MIELKE
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FIRTH — Representatives of Education First (EF) Foundation and some of the foreign exchange students attending schools in eastern Idaho spoke to the Firth trustees Thursday. They said they hoped to influence the trustees to allow exchange students to attend school in Firth.
“We have sponsors in the Firth area who would love to host a foreign exchange student,” said Kamala Free, EF Foundation Regional Coordinator for the State of Idaho.
“You don’t have to sell us on this,” said Board Chairman Barlow Cook. “I know people who have hosted foreign exchange students and the students are wonderful.”
Presently, Firth has a closed district policy. To attend school in Firth, a student’s parents or legal guardian must live within the school boundaries.
The Strategic Planning Committee is looking into Firth’s open/ closed district policy. Committee members are looking into the number of students who might come into the district with a change of policy. Members are also checking what districts around Firth are doing and what those admistrators recommend.
Members of the Strategic Planning Committee will make their report to the board in January. Any change of district policy would not go into effect before the start of school next year, Superintendent Sid Tubbs said.
“Our policy has been in place quite some time,” he said. “We want to make sure it benefits all our students.”
The students attending the board meeting came from Taiwan, Thailand, Austria and Germany. All wanted to learn more English and experience American life.
Heidi from Germany said, “Everything is bigger here.”
“The cars are bigger; the food portions are bigger,” she said. “We don’t have extra large in Germany.”
Firth patron Rosemary Palmer said she and her family have hosted two exchange students. “It was wonderful to share the differing cultural experiences.”
The audit report was approved. The superintendent reported auditor Morgan Hatt had said the district is sitting well financially; the books are in excellent shape.
Trustees also approved changes to Board Policy 3000, Students. Cyber bullying was added to the hazing, harassment, intimidation, bullying and menacing section of board policy.
The policy defining student sex offenders was approved by the trustees as was the state-recommended maintenance of school records.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 17 November 2009 )
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