New policy procedures on the table for U.D. schools

UPPER DARBY >> The Upper Darby School District is looking to change the way policies are reviewed before final adoption.

Schools Superintendent Dan McGarry announced at the July 9 school board meeting initial steps are being planned to create a policy committee to change the flow of discussion by the school board and public on new and revised district policies. This committee would meet publicly on the same night as the education and pupil services committee, and the finance and operations committee meetings on the fourth Tuesday of every month.

McGarry said the policy committee would have the first policy reading occur at a committee meeting to initiate the discussion from the start. At present, discussion on policies occur in committee structure after the first reading at a school board meeting and before the second reading by the board. Policy discussion usually comes two weeks before its final adoption.

Recent hot topic policies that have been flooded with public comment before a final adoption vote include arming school security personnel, allowing certain school employees to administer insulin to students, and school uniforms. While the uniforms and insulin policies eventually were adopted, the arming of school security was pulled for a final adoption vote in October 2018 after the first public discussion on the policy two weeks prior.

District Policy 005 (organization) would have to be revised to allow the new committee, which may go to the board for a first reading at their August business meeting, discussion at their August committee meetings, and a second and final reading at the September business meeting.

The first policy committee may come as soon as late September.

Also at Tuesday night’s meeting the board approved a six-month contract with Americas Brand Partners DBA/Magnum for media services professional development for $4,000 a month. This contract will help the district implement its custom brand through all of its online and physical platforms.

Magnum recently completed a $70,000 contract for work on the branding campaign that completed this year.