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Mission Public School District reviews its policies

Board of education eyes updates to old policies, discusses new policies
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Mission Public School District is reviewing its policies, both old and new. / Kevin Mills File Photo

Mission’s school board could introduce several new policies in 2025. 

At a special committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 14), Mission Public School District (MPSD) trustees reviewed policies both old and new ranging from the use of technology to the naming of schools. 

Board chair Tracy Loffler says it’s best practice for the board to review all policies during their term of office. 

“It's been quite a long time since [some of them] have been updated. And so we're just trying to make sure that we’re essentially getting our house in order and ensuring that our policies are up to date with current language and reflecting the vision and values of the current board,” Loffler said. 

New policies that were discussed cover topics including employee communication with trustees, naming of schools and facilities, social media, student attendance, and peer-to-peer sexual violence, abuse, assault and harassment. 

Loffler says most of the new policies up for discussion will be moving forward to the next steps. However,  the peer-to-peer sexual violence, abuse, assault and harassment policy could end up being incorporated into some of the district’s current policies. 

“The board feels that it's important to have reference to that subject matter and that it is referenced somewhere in policy,” she said. 

Meanwhile, nine policies were prioritized for review in 2025. Two of those policies were the custodial services and school secretaries policies. 

At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, trustees will vote on motions to rescind those policies since they were written in 2015 and are no longer needed. 

“All district positions are equally as important,” the report reads. 

Among the policies experiencing an ongoing review was the district’s use of technology policy. However, Tuesday’s discussion focused mainly on employees’ use of technology. 

Three policies were also reviewed earlier in the year and feedback will be considered at the February committee of the whole meeting.

Engagement on the impairing substances, records management, and sexual orientation and gender identity policies opened in November and closed on Jan. 15. 

In the feedback Loffler has seen, she says there is some confusion surrounding the sexual orientation and gender identity policy.

“There's some confusion that they think it's around the SOGI 123, resources and it's not. It's not about resources for teachers. It's about ensuring human rights within the district,” Loffler said. 

MPSD policies can be viewed online at https://www.mpsd.ca/Board/Policies/Pages/default.aspx#/=
 



Dillon White

About the Author: Dillon White

I joined the Mission Record in November of 2022 after moving to B.C. from Nova Scotia earlier in the year.
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