School Board Approves Bullying Policy, Redistricting Resolution

A policy first proposed in March earned its final approval at Tuesday’s meeting of the Paulding County School Board.

Board members in March , which defines bullying, spells out reporting procedures of bullying incidents and lays out disciplinary actions. Since then, the proposed rules had undergone some minor changes aimed at simplifying its language. The policy, approved unanimously by board members, is attached to this article.

Under state law, the district had until Aug. 1 to adopt such a policy. O.C.G.A. § 20-2-751.4 says that school systems must adopt a policy that prohibits bullying and addresses several issues surrounding it, such as notifying students and parents of anti-bullying rules and disciplinary procedures when the rules are violated.

Another policy matter that earned board approval was a set of revisions to Policy GAN on employee tobacco use. Under the revised policy, all employees will be prohibited from smoking or using any tobacco product at any time while on district property. The unamended policy merely banned smoking by employees.

Board members during the meeting learned of the new regulations that will accompany the revised policy. The regulations set penalties for employee tobacco use, which range from a verbal warning on the first offense to a suspension and/or a recommendation for termination on the fourth or subsequent offenses. Non-employees and visitors also would be prohibited from using tobacco products while on school system grounds.

(A copy of Policy GAN and its accompanying regulations are attached to this article.)

Another set of regulations presented to the board for informational purposes were those dealing with proof of residency for students. Following changes to the regulations (which are attached to this article), the district will require that those enrolling students provide at least two of the following:

• home ownership title consisting of either a warranty deed, quit-claim deed, or security deed in the name of the parent/guardian for the location of the legal residence,
• lease or rental agreement consisting of written evidence that a current valid agreement exists. Also to be included with this agreement shall be the name, address, and/or telephone number of the lessor; or
• current utility (gas, telephone, power, water and sewer) monthly statement that evidences the location of the legal residence.

While those enrolling those students could previously choose two of the three aforementioned types of documents to prove residency, the amended regulations eliminate the ability to use other types of documents, such as employer documentation, voter registration papers or motor vehicle registration.

A resolution calling for Georgia leaders to create state House and Senate districts that lie wholly or mostly within the geographical boundaries of Paulding County also earned board approval during the meeting. The approved policy states that such an action would “provide better representation for the Paulding County School district and the people of Paulding County.” The county’s Board of Commissioners .

The local measures stem from the state’s impending reapportionment process in the wake of the 2010 Census, which saw the state grow in population.

Also earning school board approval was a list of field trip requests, including some school bus usage requests from the cities of Dallas and Hiram, which are holding camps and activities this summer. Officials say the district has allowed such usage for the cities for the last several years, but this year marks the first time the arrangements have been put in writing.

Under intergovernmental agreements with the cities, the district would be reimbursed for fuel and driver costs.