District Policies

The wellbeing and health of students is important. The district is committed to having a policy and procedures in place to prevent, assess the risk of, intervene in and respond to suicide. This policy acknowledges school and staff roles to help children who are at risk and to coordinate with appropriate mental health service providers. 

This district is required by law to adopt this policy ensuring the protection of the criminal justice information and its subset of criminal history record information until the information is purged or destroyed in accordance with applicable record retention rules. This policy applies to any electronic or physical media containing Federal Bureau of Investigation or Colorado Bureau of Investigation Criminal Justice Information while being stored, accessed, or physically moved from a secure location within the district. The policy also applies to any authorized person who accesses, stores, and/or transports electronic or physical media containing criminal history record information.

Per Colorado Bill SB21-056, the district was required to adopt this policy covering the storage, possession, and administration of medical marijuana to certain students determined to be qualified under this policy. The policy permits the administration of medical marijuana to qualified students on school grounds by the student’s primary caregiver or by a school employee who volunteers to assist in the administration. Prior to the administration of medical marijuana, the student must be determined to be qualified under this policy by submitting the required medical documentation.  

The district will determine how and where medical marijuana can be stored and administered. The district is in the process of finalizing standard operating procedures that will be in effect for the 2022-2023 school year. These standard operating procedures will give more information regarding the process for reviewing requests for administration of medical marijuana, securely storing the medical marijuana, and administering the medical marijuana in an appropriate location on school grounds that does not create a risk of disruption to the educational environment or exposure to other students.  

Other information contained in policy JLCDB: 

• Staff can choose to volunteer to assist in the administration of medical marijuana to qualified students, but no staff will be required to volunteer or assist in the administration.  
• Students CANNOT self-possess or administer medical marijuana.  
• Any possession, use, distribution, gift, purchase, exchange, sale or being under the influence of medicine inconsistent with this policy is dealt with as a violation of Policy JICH (Student Conduct Involving Drugs and Alcohol).  
• The district does not need to comply with this policy if it can demonstrate a reasonable, documented expectation of lost federal funding based on federal guidance or grant requirements directly as a result of implementing this policy.

Watch the May 10, 2022, presentation to the Board of Education about this new policy on PSD YouTube here.

The district is committed to upholding an inclusive culture where students and staff can represent their authentic selves. The district also recognizes its responsibility to make reasonable accommodations for students’ religious observances, while neither promoting one religion over another nor preferring religion over non-religion. This updated policy covers general principles on religious observances, consideration of major religious observances when scheduling events, accommodations to students due to a religious observance, and instruction and training.

Changes include: 

• Language to clarify religious music may be presented for its historical, cultural, or academic value as it relates to a unit of study but not as part of a devotional exercise, service or celebration
• Clarification that a specific religion, or religious over non-religious belief, must not be advanced or disparaged in school ceremonies, celebrations, or observances 

• Clarification that staff groups are not to use school facilities for purposes of group prayer, testimony or worship, except in their capacity as a private citizen during non-school hours  

• Updated section regarding major religious observances, stating such observances must be taken into consideration when scheduling school activities, extracurricular events, tests and assignments, field trips, and other events. Sections regarding these types of activities and the required considerations are included within the policy.  

• New section on accommodation stating that teachers will provide students a meaningful opportunity and reasonable time to make up missed classwork, tests, quizzes, and final exam reviews, and to complete homework due on that day or the following school day. Make-up opportunities will not be required of a student on the school day immediately after a student is absent from school due to a religious observance.  

• New section stating that families will be informed about this policy and their student’s right to request religious accommodations annually. Information including a list of major religious observances is available on the district’s website.

For a summary of the school choice process and changes to the policy, see the School Options and Choice web page. 

Changes include:

• Removal of the “medical marijuana” section; medical marijuana is now addressed under a new policy JLCDB  

• New section stating the district will maintain a stock supply of epinephrine auto-injectors for use in emergency anaphylaxis events that occur on school grounds. The stock supply is not intended to replace student-specific orders or medication provided by the student’s parent/guardian to treat the student’s asthma, food or other allergy, anaphylaxis or related, life-threatening condition. 

• New section stating that to the extent funding and supplies are available, the district will maintain a stock supply of opiate antagonists to assist an individual who is at risk of experiencing an opiate-related overdose event on school grounds. 

Watch the May 10, 2022, presentation to the BOE about these changes on PSD YouTube.

Minor updates reflect the changes made to policy JLCD and adoption of the new policy JLCDB. Watch the May 10, 2022, presentation to the BOE about these changes on PSD YouTube.

Revised to include additional information about: 

• What should be included in a request for records to get a more accurate response from the district
• The district being prohibited from disclosing certain confidential records 
• How the district calculates the due date for responses

• The compilation of multiple requests made by the same requestor in a short period of time or similar or the same requests by different requestors in a short period of time