School policy spurs discussion

Following praying for the guidance of the meeting, Ken Lefsaker of Grangeville said, “I want to question a revision on policy to dispense emergency contraceptives in the case of rape.”

“I feel the school far exceeds its authority to do anything like this, that the parents should be involved with that immediately should such a thing happen,” he stated.

“I would also like to address the same issue. As I understand the information I received, someone proposed to change the rules so that under certain circumstances school employees will be allowed to issue contraceptives in an emergency situation due to rape — so how does this work?” asked patron George Kerley, Grangeville.

“A girl comes into the office and says, ‘I was raped. I need the morning-after pill.’ Do you see a problem here? Am I to assume this proposal would allow this to happen without the parents, law enforcement and medical intervention? If so, that is not your place. You are nothing more than hirelings placed in your position by the taxpayer,” Kerley continued. “As a taxpayer. I oppose any change that would allow this to happen. This is a Pandora’s Box you do not want to open. I swear, this is one of the dumbest proposals I have ever heard. That leaves the question, ‘what’s next?’”

John Menough of Elk City also spoke to the policy.

“It’s totally off the rails for any type of birth control to be offered. Something that should not ever be considered in the school district — the teachers, nurses, or anyone working in the school have the authority to do something like that nor should ever have that authority,” Menough said. “The parents need to be intimately involved and you are just opening yourselves up to horrendous legal issues if you even consider doing this.”

“I did not even see that last sentence when I was going through all the policies,” trustee B Edwards said. “I’m sorry I missed that.”

“My thought was that we would strike that last part [“except in the case of rape”] — and, again, I just want to make it clear, we don’t even have access to this information or any medications or services, [regarding the issue of rape and counseling services due to this] in any way,” superintendent Steve Higgins said. “This is not something we have provided at all.”

Discussion ensued on where the policy came from. Many policies the board continues to go through, change, shape for the district and eventually adopt, has come from the ISBA (Idaho School Board Association).

“I understand the modern temperament, but this doesn’t even make sense to me, having this in here. I’ve been in education for the past 30 years and we have never been involved in this [the situation the policy refers to],” Higgins stated.

“Am I the only one who read and noticed this?” trustee Casey Smith asked.

“Well, obviously not,” Higgins said, alluding to the patrons who had already spoken up on the issue.

“Well, I alerted Larry [Dunn, trustee] and I think he put the word out to people,” Smith said.

“It would have been nice, since I have been going through all these policies, if you guys had made me aware of this,” Edwards said.

“Or you could have called me,” Higgins said. “But it’s OK, we can do it this way, too.”

“It’s good for all of us to read these thoroughly, but on this, we know this [situation] isn’t our ball of wax,” board chair Melisa Kaschmitter brought the topic back around to what would happen going forward.

“I suggest we roll these [several agenda-listed policies and procedures] over for another reading,” Dunn said, stating that due to illness, he had been unable to pick up the hard copies of his board packet. “I’m a little disappointed this would be left to one trustee, if that’s the case.”

Dunn said he also had questions on the search and seizure portion and that, in his opinion, legal references needed to be added to these areas. He also has questions on the school facility rental fees, which were briefly discussed.

Smith voted to roll over the entire section for a second reading, Dunn seconded, and the board voted unanimously to do so.