Lake Orion Board of Education Discusses Bullying Prevention Program, Cell Phone Policy

During the Wednesday evening Lake Orion Community Schools Board of Education meeting, staff and students from gave a presentation on the Olweus bullying prevention program – a program .

This year, the program has expanded to include and Pine Tree Elementary School. Next year, in partnership with the Lake Orion Education Foundation – and with additional financial help from several generous donors, including – the board hopes to implement the program district-wide.

"As a school board member, I've visited too many funeral homes during my time in this position," Board of Education President Mary Jo Burchart said during the meeting. "That’s something that’s tugged at my heart, that any student would think that things are so bad that there’s no other alternative than to end their own life."

The Board of Education also:

• Voted unanimously move school board elections to November on even years, getting rid of .
• Discussed a resolution to become the policyholder of each of its insurance policies and provide health care services benefits to its employees and their dependents. Currently, MESSA is the policyholder; with this change, the district would be the policyholder and MESSA the administrator. The board hopes to take action on this resolution at the Oct. 26 meeting.
• Discussed applying for a one-time $100-per-pupil grant from the State School Aid Act to be used this school year. The board hopes to take action on this resolution at the Oct. 26 meeting.
• Conducted a first reading of a revision to the district's cell phone and electronic communication devices policy. The revisions would allow students to possess cell phones during and after school with the idea that smart phones could be used for educational purposes, though they must be kept on silent or vibrate. "More and more, we are using cell phones in the classroom," said Heidi Kast, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. "This is not automatically in place as of tomorrow," she added. The board will re-work the policy wording and hold a second reading at a future meeting.
• Unanimously approved $6.5 million in bills.