Rationale:

At the April Board Meeting, the Board approved a revision to local policy providing up to three days of paid bereavement leave for employees upon the death of an immediate family member. This policy reflects the district’s commitment to supporting staff during times of personal loss.

Since adoption, one employee has experienced the loss of an immediate family member and is eligible to receive the three days of bereavement leave under the current policy.

However, two additional employees—one who lost her spouse and another who lost her mother—experienced similar losses earlier in the current school year, prior to the policy’s approval. Under the current policy language, there is no provision for retroactive application or superintendent discretion to extend this benefit in those cases.

Administration is recommending that the Board consider authorizing a one-time, limited retroactive application of the bereavement leave policy for those employees who experienced the loss of an immediate family member during the 2025-2026 school year prior to the policy’s adoption.

This recommendation is made in order to:

• Ensure equitable treatment of employees who experienced similar losses within the same school year
• Align implementation with the Board’s intent in adopting the bereavement leave policy
• Demonstrate care and support for employees during times of significant personal hardship

This action would be:

• Limited in scope to employees who experienced the loss of an immediate family member during the current school year prior to policy adoption
• Consistent with the definitions and parameters outlined in the adopted policy
• A one-time authorization, not establishing an ongoing retroactive practice

There is no anticipated significant financial impact beyond the limited number of days associated with this action.

Administration Recommendation:

Administration recommends approval of a one-time authorization for the retroactive application of the bereavement leave policy as described above.

Consideration and possible approval granting the Superintendent the authority to identify and purchase a used 8 to 15 passenger bus/van equipped with wheelchair accessibility capabilities, provided that a suitable vehicle can be located and purchased for a total price not to exceed $25,000.

The purpose of this purchase is to provide the district with additional flexibility in transporting students for special programs, extracurricular activities, field trips, and other district-related needs while ensuring accessibility accommodations are available when needed.

Due to the limited availability and highly variable pricing of used wheelchair-accessible vehicles, authorizing the Superintendent to act within the approved spending limit would allow the district to respond quickly should an appropriate vehicle become available.

To help ensure reliability and sound stewardship of district funds, any prospective vehicle purchase will be inspected by a qualified mechanic prior to finalizing the purchase.