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Section 400 Rework Project Preview

Note

This site represents proposed changes as part of the Section 400 Rework Project only. It is dedicated solely for that purpose. For the most up-to-date and official information, including policies, meeting minutes, and regulations, please visit: West Ada Board of Trustees OFFICIAL Home

Section 400 Rework Explained

For the past two years the Policy Review Committee has been engaged in a long-term effort to revise the West Ada School District Policy Manual. The goal is to simplify, clarify, and update all District policies. So far, the Board has approved revisions to Sections 100, 200 and 300; Section 400 is simply next in line.

Generally, the Policy Review Committee recommends policy changes one-at-a-time. However, the complexity and inter-dependency of Section 400 made this effectively impossible. As a result, we decided to address Section 400 as a whole, with the intention of presenting all recommendations holistically. This required the use of a new tool (GitHub) from which this site is built.

This website represents how the entire policy manual would look if all the proposed changes were accepted by the Board of Trustees (including policies unaffected by the rework). This site will be updated in real-time as proposals are adjusted based on feedback from patrons, personnel and Trustees, and may be used as a reference during work sessions discussing the Section 400 rework. The goal is to have all Section 400 policies completed and approved prior to July 1 so that District personnel have an opportunity to review and adjust before the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Understanding Policy and Regulations (ARs)

There are two components to this site, Policies and Administrative Regulations.

Policies are set by the Board of Trustees. They tend to be declarative, general, and strategic. Policies are meant to address "what" the District is attempting to accomplish.

Administrative Regulations, or ARs, are set by the Administration through the Superintendent. They tend to be imperative, specific, and tactical. ARs are meant to address "how" the District accomplishes the "what".

Every Policy is voted on by the Board of Trustees in open session, typically after a three-reading process. These may be commented on by the public and remain in force until and unless superseded by statute or rescinded by the Board (again, typically following a three-reading process in open session.)

Every AR is written by the Administration and can change at any time. However, any changes in Administrative Regulation must be presented to the Board in open session (typically on the "consent agenda") allowing for oversight.

The goal with this approach is to maintain the ultimate authority with the People through their elected representatives, while still allowing the district professionals to manage the day-to-day operations with flexibility and responsiveness to on-the-ground conditions.

Tip

There has been substantial public interest in one specific policy (Policy 401.20) that addresses classroom displays. As part of the Section 400 rework, this particular policy was split up into various parts several months ago and as such 401.20 itself will not be found on this site. As a convenience, please find links to the proposed replacement for 401.20 which address classroom displays:

Learning More

This website represents what would be the final state of the policy manual if all Section 400 proposals were accepted. If you are interested in seeing additional detail, including the ability to track changes through time or as a side-by-side comparison of the current policy v. the proposed changes, please visit our GitHub repository directly.