Board approves policy revisions for volunteer screening and behavioral health; committee flags budget concerns

The St. Mary Parish School Board voted Feb. 5 to adopt a set of policy revisions recommended by its policy review committee to align district policy with recent state legislation.

Policy changes tied to Act 409 amend recruitment, dismissal and employee-conduct policies to account for the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) central registry. Policy language now defines volunteers for the purposes of screening (excluding short-term chaperones) and requires appropriate background checks; the committee added staff-recommended language on who can securely erase or render inaccessible data on returned student devices.

Policy committee chair Mister Mancuso said Act 409 “necessitated three policies to be revised dealing with the DCFS central registry” and recommended adding volunteers to the safeguards that apply to employees. The board moved and approved the committee’s recommendations with staff additions.

On behavioral health (policy JGCF), the committee reviewed Act 469 and La. R.S. 17:173.1 regarding mental health screenings and assessments. The committee concluded that while screenings are authorized by law, assessments that carry costs could impose significant unbudgeted expenses on the district. Mancuso said the committee recommended that assessments be made available only if parents authorize them, select the provider and arrange payment, and recommended deferring district-funded screenings until the next budget workshop. The board voted to accept those recommendations.

Board members approved the suite of policy changes by voice votes. The adopted revisions include recordkeeping and reporting requirements for convictions and DCFS registry placements for employees, and new language clarifying volunteer roles and screening procedures.