MENTONE - Several issues were brought before the Tippecanoe Valley School Board Monday night.
They ranged in topic from a sound system at Akron Elementary, to student cell phones and sexual conduct.
The school board approved changes to the student, faculty and athletic handbooks for the 2009-2010 school year. They then approved a statement regarding student cell phones and sexual conduct for the student handbooks.According to Superintendent Brett Boggs, Dave Emmert, legal counsel for the Indiana School Boards Association, recently provided information that outlines the serious criminal issues involved when school officials learn that a student's cell phone contains sexual content, including the legal duty to report it to law enforcement or child services.
Emmert recommended the following statement related to sexual content in connection with cell phone possession and use be included in the student handbook as grounds for suspension or expulsion: "Sending, sharing, viewing, or possessing pictures, text messages, e-mails, or other material of a sexual nature in electronic or any other form, including the contents of a cell phone or other electronic device."
A notice of this statement will be made to parents and students.
Child exploitation, a Class C felony, is committed when a person who knowingly or intentionally manages, produces, sponsors, presents, exhibits, photographs, films, videotapes or creates a digitized image of any performance or incident that includes sexual conduct by a child under 18 years old; or disseminates, exhibits to another person, offers to disseminate or exhibit to another person, or sends or brings into Indiana for dissemination or exhibition matter that depicts or describes sexual conduct by a child under 18.
Child pornography, a Class D felony, is committed when a person who knowingly or intentionally possesses a picture, drawing, photograph, negative image, undeveloped film, motion picture, videotape, digitized image or any pictorial representation that depicts or describes sexual conduct by a child who the person knows is less than 16 years old or who appears to be less than 16 years old and that lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
In another matter, Julie Canada has a fourth-grader at Akron Elementary School. She said the school has an awesome after-school activities program.
Thursday night, the drama club presented "Alice in Wonderland." The students did a fantastic job, Canada said. However, the acoustics in the Akron gym were horrible. There was a full audience for the show, but it was a shame the parents were unable to take in all the play. She asked the school board if they could provide a sound system for the school.
Superintendent Brett Boggs said funds for the sound system would have to be included in the Capital Projects Fund for next school year, which would be a sizeable expense.
Canada said the sound system would not just be for extracurricular activities.
Boggs said he was not sure what they could do with the gym for a sound system. He said he will have a sound system company take a look at the gym and make a recommendation.
Parent Chris Morehouse said her son is going to the middle school next year. She asked if there was a peer or anti-bullying program at the middle school. If not, she asked what she would have to do to get one started there.
Boggs instructed her to meet with the counselor and principal. He also said he would work with her on that issue.
The Department of Education has encouraged Valley to participate in the Summer Food Service Program due to Valley's high percentage of free and/or reduce application in the corporation, Boggs reported.
Free lunch will be served at Akron, Mentone and the high school from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays from June 8 to Aug. 7.
Any child 18 years old and younger may participate in the program regardless of free and/or reduced status.
The program is reimbursed through the USDA at $3.18 per meal served.
