School board addresses parents' concerns

PONDERAY — Additional signs to warn against inappropriate content have been added to Lake Pend Oreille School District buses and the board is looking into a “parent’s bill of rights.”

Starting off the meeting Lake Pend Oreille School Board Chairman Geraldine Lewis told parents that the board is addressing concerns brought up in past meetings during public comment.

Lewis’ comments were in response to concerns raised by a parent at the board’s Oct. 23 meeting who complained the district wasn’t keeping its side of an agreement to prevent the sharing of pornographic material on school buses. Instead of having “multiple” signs up in buses with a phone number for students to call or text to report the sharing of pornographic material, she said there was only a small sign near the front of the bus.

Lewis said that in all buses a second sign has been added towards the middle of the bus to allow better visibility for all students in order to prevent the spread of inappropriate material.

Lewis responded to a past comment made on the district’s graduation performance metrics. She said that she has asked the LPOSD administration to report on the district’s performance metrics at a future meeting.

“I do want to let you know that the 2021 graduation rate has not yet been published. And the 2020 graduation rate, which is the last one we have, was well above state average,” said Lewis.

“School board policy and Idaho Code address a parent's rights in Idaho,” said Lewis. “We had a comment about a potential parent bill of rights. We're investigating through educational organizations at the state level and producing a document for easier access.”

She said that document is pending and in the works. The comment stemmed from a parent that the district should follow in the footsteps of a Tallahassee, Florida school district that recently passed a parent bill of rights.

In Florida, as of July 1, 2021, there is a Parental Rights bill CS/CS/SB 582 (2021). It requires each school board to develop and adopt policy to promote parental involvement in the public school system. In addition it prohibits health care practitioners and their employees from providing healthcare services, prescribing medicinal drugs or medical procedures to a minor with a parent’s written consent.

The section named “Parents’ Bill of Rights” found that it is a fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children. The section also found that important information relating to a minor child’s health, well-being and education should not be withheld from parents while the minor child is in the custody of the school district. “Parent” is also defined in the bill for clarity.

A parent’s rights are reserved to the parent of a minor child in Florida without obstruction or interference from the state, any of its political subdivisions, any other governmental entity, or any other institution. This is including, but not limited to the rights of a parent in Florida to:

_ direct the education and care of his or her minor child.

_ direct the upbringing and the moral or religious training of his or her minor child.

_ enroll their child in education whether be public, private, homeschool or other available options authorized by Florida law.

_consent in writing before the state of Florida or any of its political subdivisions makes a video or voice recording of his or her minor child, unless such recording is made during or as part of a court proceeding or a forensic interview.

_The parent has the right to all of the child’s student records, health care decisions, access and review of all medical records unless prohibited by law. The right to consent in writing before any biometric exam, blood or DNA is collected for either created, stored or shared.

Lake Pend Oreille School Board meetings are held at 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Ponderay Event Center.