By GAGE WILSON
For Glasgow News 1
Caverna Board of Education members surfed the ripples stirred by recent state-level legislation during a special called meeting Thursday evening, paddling into a first reading of policy and procedural changes set to roll out across the district.
With all members present, Chairwoman Jennifer Briggs gaveled the meeting to order at 5 p.m. Public comment opened the floor, where longtime educator Terry Thorpe waded into concerns about the district’s parental leave policy.
“For young teachers starting a family, they don’t have the sick days built up to take a full leave, and they usually go without pay,” she said. “I did that when I was one of those people.” Thorpe added that improving benefits could help the district attract and keep quality educators.
“This is a perk that will help us become competitive in hiring and retaining,” she said.
Superintendent Amanda Abell acknowledged the concern, noting that the “maternity policy is one we’re going to talk about tonight.”
The board then flowed into over an hour of policy review without further comment.
True to Abell’s word, the first topic to surface was the district’s parental leave policy, which now states that staff may receive “up to” 30 days of paid leave.
Board questions bubbled up around the language used, as members wanted to ensure that persons who adopted or worked with a surrogate would also be included within the new policy. Abell answered that since this meeting was a first reading, the board would be able to make notes on what changes could be made. However, she deferred that judgment to the Kentucky School Boards Association.
The next policy to capture attention drifted in from ongoing concerns about communication between students and educators. Outlined by Abell, the policy would disallow students and teachers from connecting on platforms that are not “traceable” — essentially meaning that school staff would only be allowed to contact students via a service that archives communication.
“We have had issues, especially with high school teachers communicating through Facebook Messenger, Snapchat and things of that nature,” Abell said. “They’re saying ‘No more, there is going to be one district platform.’” She recommended the chat service offered by Apptegy, a software the school uses for district-wide calls.
Abell explained that the program allows users to create “rooms,” enabling parents to be active participants in their child’s instruction while also preserving a history of the teachers’ responses. She emphasized that the policy aims to empower parental oversight in their child’s scholastic experience.
Concerns were raised about the rigid nature of the policy, particularly for staff trying to reach families who did not have or were unable to use Apptegy. “This only affects communication between students and their teacher,” Abell said. “If parents want to contact the teacher… that’s fine.” No decision was made on what software would be used, though the board is expected to finalize its stance at next week’s regular meeting.
Student credits also stirred discussion as board members considered the risks of placing a child in a challenging academic environment. The conversation followed Abell’s review of a policy change that “automatically enrolls students in advanced coursework,” with an opt-out option for parents who feel the placement may not suit their child. This selection would be made by the school’s guidance counselor for students demonstrating acuity in core subjects.
The board accepted the first reading with minimal notes and questions. The board’s next regular meeting is June 12.
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