Ouachita Parish Schools

School Board Members receive policies for review prior to voting at scheduled meetings. Any policies being considered will be posted here for public review, along with any recommendations from the Policy Review Committee. The OPSB Policy Manual can be found in full on our website. Link: OPSB POLICY MANUAL --NOTE: The manual is uploaded with updates quarterly. The most recent approved policies are listed here and may differ from those in the CAPS manual.

Policies Approved by Board Vote October 18, 2022

Policy #	Policy Name	Short Description
GBDA	Employment of Retired Personnel	Addresses rehiring of retired teachers in areas of critical shortages. These provisions address employees who retired before June 30, 2020 and are effective until July 1, 2027. The revised statutes allow continued hiring without benefit suspension and without certifying the existence of a critical shortage.
GBN	Dismissal of Employees	Addresses dismissal of bus operators. It replaces the wording “written notice of charges” with “receipt of the Superintendent’s disciplinary action, if any.”
GBRIB	Sick Leave	The statute now allows the use of sick leave for “special circumstances” for teachers, bus operators, and school employees.
GBRID	Military Leave	This new statute provides that a teacher whose employment was interrupted by military service be placed, upon return to employment as a teacher, on the step of the salary which he/she would have been placed if his/her employment had not been interrupted.
IDDFA	Special Education Advisory Council	Adds changes to the make-up of the Special Education Advisory Council. Changes include the percentages of certain members to be included and the number of members. The annual written report of the council is to be posted on the School Board’s website and reported to the State Department of Education.
IDDFC	Cameras in Special Education Classrooms	This statute is making it mandatory for each School Board to adopt policies relative to the installation and operation of cameras that record both video and audio in Special Education Classrooms by December 31, 2022.
JBCE	Public School Choice	Provides for transfer to high schools based on programs offered, in addition to students being able to transfer to schools based on school performance scores. The “program of choice” must not be offered at the public high school in which the student would otherwise attend, and the high school and “program of choice” have the available capacity at the appropriate grade level. Policy defines “program of choice.”
JGCE	Child Abuse	Reflects language added that age and grade appropriate classroom instruction be provided to all students relative to child assault awareness and prevention, and the new language requiring that the instruction include how students may report abuse or assault to the Department of Children and Family Services hotline. Each public school is required to post the hotline information in a prominent location on its website.
LEH	Patriotic Organizations	New policy that allows patriotic organizations to use public school facilities for student participation in activities, at times other than instructional time, during the school day. Principals are required to grant representatives of such organizations the opportunity to speak with and recruit students to participate during school hours for the purpose of informing them how the organization may further the students’ educational interests and civic involvement.
JCDAF	Bullying and Hazing	New bullying provisions requiring each elementary, middle, and high school to institute a program to prohibit and prevent bullying. Policy was tabled at September meeting for further changes/recommendations from committee. It is now ready for approval.

Policies Approved September 13, 2022 / Recommendations from the Policy Review Committee

BE School Board Ethics – Added requirement that if an immediate family member of a School Board member or Superintendent is to be promoted to an administrative position, they must have been employed for at least one year.

BE School Board Ethics – Committee recommendations in green.

DJED Bids and Quotations – Raises the limits for bids on materials and supplies.

EDD School Bus Scheduling and Routing – Removes certain restrictions requiring the loading and unloading of students on shoulders of the roads when near their homes.

GAAA Equal Opportunity Employment – Adds prohibiting discrimination based on natural, protective or cultural hairstyles.

GAMB Employee Dress Code – Adds prohibiting discrimination based on natural, protective or cultural hairstyles.

JAA Equal Education Opportunities – Adds prohibiting discrimination based on natural, protective or cultural hairstyles.

JBD Student Absences and Excuses – Expectant and parenting high school students shall be granted excused absences as delineated in policy JQA Expectant and Parenting Students (see below.)

JCDB Student Dress Code – Adds prohibiting discrimination based on natural, protective or cultural hairstyles.

JD and JDE Discipline and Expulsion – Minor wording changes

JGC Student Health Services – Includes provisions for seizure treatment and training.

JGC Student Health Services – Committee recommendations in green.

JGCD Administration of Medication – Requires a policy for maintaining a supply of auto-injectable epinephrine in a secure location in each classroom assigned to a student who is deemed by the physician to be at high risk for anaphylactic reaction and incapable of self-administration.

JGCD Administration of Medication – Committee recommendations in green.

JM Student Voter Registration – New policy requiring that School Boards provide an opportunity for each high school senior who is at least seventeen to register to vote by using a high school computer to fill out a registration application.

JQA Expectant and Parenting Students – Provides additional support for expectant and parenting mothers and fathers.

Policy tabled for later consideration:

JCDAF Bullying and Hazing – New bullying provisions requiring each elementary, middle, and high school to institute a program to prohibit and prevent bullying.

Policies Approved May 10, 2022

JBCE Public School Choice (original) updated definition to JBCE Public School Choice (revised)

DIBA American Recovery and Reinvestment Reporting Requirements – Delete policy as no longer relevant.

Policies Approved February 8, 2022

GBRHA Sabbatical Leave

GBRIB Sick Leave

IHAD Parent Conferences

DJE Purchasing

BCBI Public Participation in School Board Meetings

BC School Board Meetings

DJED Bids and Quotations

JG Student Welfare