Small Town News

Cheney school board focuses on medical issues at years first meeting

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Updated policy modeled after state law dealing with concussions and head injuries gets reading

There was a lot to discuss at the Cheney school board's first meeting of the school year.

Board members deliberated on a new requirement for medical treatment of students, and they discussed more stringent requirements for dealing with possible concussions.

Cheney High School assistant principal for student activities Jim Missel spoke at length about the new law governing the common sports injury. The law, enacted in May, prohibits athletes with a head injury from returning to play unless a licensed health care provider has examined them and approved them for play.

"This is very important," he said. "It is law and we need to follow it."

The board completed their first reading of the updated policy on concussions and head injuries, which now includes marching band, dance and cheer leading as well as sports. Under the policy, coaches must complete training to deal with possible concussions, and students and parents must sign an informational form on the signs and symptoms of concussions. Missel was adamant about enforcing the law.

"We'll take their helmets away," he said.

Though board members moved quickly through most of the several first readings of policy changes, one part of the multi-faceted policy governing interscholastic activities spurred questions.

Section 8 of policy number 2151 says that any non-prescribed medications cannot be distributed to athletes until the child's parent and their doctor approve the medications.

"How are we going to implement this now that we have to get doctors?" asked board member Rick Mount. He was concerned that the district does not have a form ready for this purpose.

Assistant Superintendent Debra Clemens explained the policy, saying, "I think its a protection for the school district that the parent and the doctor have been involved and consulted in terms of any medication that was distributed."

Clemens said a standardized form could be prepared for this school year. The board agreed to continue the discussion at their next meeting.

Board President Kerry O'Connor expressed disgust for a new policy distributed by the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) that outlines suggested activities of school boards.

"This is a bureaucratic wish list which is exactly the kind of junk that we've been trying to get rid of through things like the Essential Foundations," O'Connor said. "I would like to think that we would rely on our experience and our judgment and our desire to help kids, like we always have, and deal with the issues that come up, rather than go through a checklist."

Mount agreed.

"I was offended, totally offended by this and I am not in favor of it," he said, pointing out the document's advice to attend legislative conferences and communicate district concerns with elected officials. "I think it's so ridiculous that it says that. We wouldn't be here unless we were doing that."

Other topics were covered at the meeting:

Superintendent Larry Keller gave the district's enrollment report. The Sept. 8 attendance was 3,698 students. The number is up from last year but below the budgeted 3,730. "We didn't base our staffing on the budgeted amount, we based our staffing on what we had at the end of last year," he said, adding that though the schools had adequate staff, many classes were approaching the number limit.

The board accepted four new portable classrooms. Two portables were installed at Cheney Middle School, one at Betz Elementary and one at Windsor Elementary.

The board approved the roofing project recently completed on three sections of Cheney High School. O'Connor joked that he was surprised there was any roof left to fix. "I think we've been putting a roof on the high school for as long as I've been on the board," he said.

Missell outlined an agreement with the Medical Lake

School District that would allow swimmers to use the Cheney facility and coaches while maintaining their own team. "They will not be part of the Cheney swim team," he said. The board accepted the agreement, in which Medical Lake will pay Cheney $200 per participating athlete.

Since the district had new equipment installed for classroom presentations, the board authorized the sale of approximately 200 projection screens and 40 overhead projectors.

Becky Thomas can be reached at becky@cheneyfreepress.com

"This is very important. It is law and we need to follow it."

Cheney High School assistant principal for student activities

Jim Missel



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© 2009 Cheney Free Press Cheney, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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