TYLERTOWN – Walthall County school board members approved changes to the student handbook for the next school year.
The dress code was amended to oulaw hooded sweaters and jackets for high school students. Younger students may wear hoodies or raincoats to school but not in the building.
Superintendent Wade Carney said hoodies are a safety issue.
“It’s hard to identify the students, due to the quality of our cameras and our lights, if they have hoods pulled up,” Carney said. “They may have headphones in or their phones up under the hoods. It’s hard to control.”
Academically, the district will require at least four test grades during each nine weeks, to prevent low or failing grades based on as little as one test. The overall nine-weeks test will only be allowed to count as 15 percent of a student’ss grade.
The district drug-testing policy was amended to say that 10 percent of the student body at each school subject to the policy will be tested each year. It previously listed a number rather than a percentage, which would lead to vast differences in the percentages of students tested at Tylertown and the smaller Salem Attendance Center.
Carney said the district had not yet invoked the policy and had testing done.
Another change would bar students who fail state tests from checking out of school early. Carner said administrators considered requiring a 3.0 grade-point average as well for students seeking to check out early, but may add that in the future.
The district is allso adding specific proofs of residence to the handbook.
In other business:
• Carney recommended no changes to the district’s vision and mission statement.
• Debbie Smith, who oversees parent involvement efforts, gave board members a rundown of how the district brings parents to school and promotes interest in school programs.
• The board approved easements on 16th Section land for the Lexie Water Association.
“So, if we don’t approve this, they’re dead in the water,” board president Eldredge Boyd said.
“If you don’t approve it, they won’t have that, either,” board attorney Conrad Mord replied.
• Hunting, fishing and agricultural leases on 16th Section land were approved.
• Ansel Davis was named the district’s asbestos coordinator for 2017-2018.
• The board considered more than 40 students transfers in executive session and reported no action taken afterward.
