LEWISTON — The Lewiston School Committee on Monday approved second readings of multiple policy changes, including one regulating staff participation in political activities.
Committee members also added to the emergency evacuation drills policy.
The updated policy on staff participation in political activities is three pages compared to the previous one that was two paragraphs. The updates outline political activities teachers are not allowed to engage in while on school grounds or while carrying out their work.
The update was not prompted by issues in any of the schools, Superintendent Jake Langlais said Tuesday. He said he has not heard complaints from parents regarding teachers influencing students’ political opinions.
District policies need to be updated every few years, Langlais said, and it was time for this one.
The subcommittee that reviews school policies will use legal advisers through Maine School Superintendents Association for guidance.
Langlais said he surmises that because the political climate has shifted over the past few years, along with some legislation changes, the legal advisers recommend a more in-depth policy.
The policy was careful not to inhibit conversations within the school on political topics or controversial issues.
“Nothing in this policy shall preclude the discussion of political or controversial issues or current events or exposure of mature students to candidates as guest speakers …,” it reads.
The updated policy allows the committee to provide information or express its views on political issues impacting schools. It can also direct the superintendent to use district resources to express those views, though it does prevent the committee from using its influence or resources to promote or oppose specific political parties or candidates.
The committee also added to the policy regulating emergency evacuation drills to include a section requiring schools to hold a lockdown drill within the first two weeks of a new school year.
The lockdown drills are required by law, Langlais said. There are various reasons regarding why the school might go into lockdown, such as a chemical spill nearby.
For scenarios in which someone enters the school intending to harm children, the school does not necessarily go into lockdown, he said. Staff and students use an avoid, deny and defend procedure. It encourages staff and students to avoid the danger, deny the danger from entering their area or defend themselves against the danger using whatever devices are available to them as a last resort.
In other business, committee members congratulated Nutrition and Transportation Director Alisa Roman for being selected as the state’s nutrition director of the year. She is credited with advocating for school nutrition and transportation on the state and federal level and writing grants.
“She did a lot of really good things, not just for our school district but the state as a whole,” Langlais said.
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