The Columbia School Board will vote to approve a revised bullying policy that the Policy Committee has spent over a year working on.
The revised policy broadens the list of people who are required to intervene, report and assist in bullying incidents at school and takes out any mention of hazing. Additionally, it changes how investigation findings should be handled by requiring the district to send a statement of the findings to parents or guardians of the victim and alleged bully within five school days of the completed investigation.
In July, the committee sent an earlier revised version of the bullying policy to the board, but the board sent it back, saying the policy needed more public input.
The committee received public feedback through surveys, but held onto the policy for another month before moving it for board approval to make sure all committee members agreed on everything stated in the document, according to previous Missourian coverage.
Special education program
The board will also hear a review of the Special Services department, which provides special education services to schools.
Adam Taylor, the district’s chief academic officer, will present an evaluation of the district’s progress toward reducing the achievement gap between students with and without disabilities.
In the presentation, Taylor will present data comparing standardized testing scores between students with an individualized education plan and students without, from school years 2021-22 to 2025-26.
According to documents provided ahead of the Monday meeting, some of the program’s other goals include: providing individualized academic support for students; ensure compliance with state and federal regulations; maintain effort toward staff recruitment, retention and development; encourage and facilitate parent involvement in special education.
The review comes less than a month after a settlement was reached in a disability and abuse discrimination lawsuit against the district.
The Missourian previously reported that the suit was filed in 2020 by two parents who had two children with disabilities enrolled in the district. According to the lawsuit, some students were confined in small padded “seclusion rooms,” and one parent claimed their child was injured.
At the time, the district had outsourced special education services to a company called Specialized Education Services Inc. Both the district and the company denied all accusations in the lawsuit, and the district later ended its contract with the company, according to previous reporting.
Columbia STEM alliance
Also during Monday’s meeting, the board will look at a roadmap of a partnership between the district and the Columbia STEM Alliance Foundation for the 2026-27 school year.
Columbia STEM Alliance works to provide hands-on science, technology, engineering and math opportunities for elementary and secondary school students and increase the number of students interested in the field, according to board documents.
Through the partnership, the foundation would create an innovation center for kids in the district to use and facilitate a middle school advanced math mentorship program.
According to board documents, the partnership would cost the district around $37,000, and it would be covered by the curriculum and instruction operation budget.
Student voice
The board will hear from two students from Two Mile Prairie Elementary School on Monday.
According to board documents, the students will present about their agriculture-focused education at Two Mile and why they are “Prairie Proud.”
This year, Two Mile is debuting its lottery status, meaning students who don’t live in the attendance area of the school can submit an application to enroll. The school teaches students through the school’s garden, an outdoor classroom and a partnership with local farmers.
How to watch
The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Aslin Administration Building, 1818 W. Worley St. For those unable to attend, a livestream is available on CPS-TV and viewable on the district website, Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV.
