By Sterling McGinn
With the first day of school coming quickly on Tuesday, September 2, the Tahquamenon Area Schools (TAS) Board of Education met for a special meeting on Monday, August 25 with a short agenda that focused on considering having a closed campus.
The meeting took place at 6 p.m. in the board of education meeting room. Board member Michael Havens and President Eric Feldhusen were absent. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Veronica Edwards.
In recent decades, the school district did not allowing students to leave during the school day, especially during lunch period. But no official rule had been in place in the student handbook.
“There is no policy, and it is not currently in our handbook that we are an open or closed campus,” said District Superintendent Shawn Tebo.
Trustee Jeff Puckett recalled that the district used to have an open campus.
Tebo said the school attorney recommends that the district keep students on the campus during the day.
“She gave an example that if there was a car accident, because it is Michigan law, we are not liable for that car accident,” Tebo said. “If a student goes out and does things they aren’t legally allowed to do, and they come back to campus, possibly under the influence, then it is something we have to deal with on our end. That is where the liability comes in.”
One upcoming senior submitted a letter to the board on the topic.
“She wanted to be here to give this herself, but couldn’t get time off of work,” Edwards said. “Her request was for the school to consider keeping it a closed campus but allowing seniors who are in good standing in their classes to be able to leave during their lunchtime.”
The student referenced a similar policy in place at Manistique Area Schools.
Trevor Clark, 7-12 grade principal said Manistique allows seniors to leave for lunch if they are not failing any classes and have zero discipline referrals.
“I do like the idea of seniors being able to leave,” Clark said. “But the idea of being able to police, who and where—I have two lunch monitors interested in serving, and I don’t know if I want to put that on them.”
Puckett agreed that it would be difficult to keep track of which seniors were allowed to leave for lunch.
After discussion, the board voted to close the campus for all TAS students.
A number of new hires were approved for the upcoming school year.
Erin McNamara, a longtime teacher at TAS, was hired as the MTSS coordinator. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework that identifies academic and behavioral supports that a student may need.
A teacher will need to be hired to fill McNamara’s second-grade position.
Two paraprofessionals were hired that evening. Denvir Johnson will be the K-6 grade behavioral paraprofessional, and Megan Jankowski will be the K-6 grade general education paraprofessional.
Melissa Eastman and Catherine Clark were hired to work in food service.
Deb Wahl and Michelle Gray were hired as long-term subs.
Finally, Carly Chandler was hired by the board as the 7/8 grade cross country coach.
Also approved that night was an update to the student/parent handbook changing the upcoming school year for the 7-12 grades to a seven-hour day, rather than six.
Trevor Clark explained that the decision, which creates lower class sizes and offers more options to students.
The handbook had been revised prior to the change, he said, and it will be updated.
