LINN — Linn R-2 Superintendent Bob James told board members at their last meeting about policy updates that will impact emergency services.

“New AED and CPR guidelines are going to come at a significant expense to districts,” he explained. “They are telling us that there will be one-time grant opportunities or initial grant opportunities. I’ll be applying for those, so that we don’t take on all of that cost burden, but there will be training and an equipment burden with those buildings.”

James added that every student area would need to have an AED unit, which could mean four or five additional devices.

Here’s a look at the policies under consideration.

— Policy 5218 — Cardiac Emergency Response Plan: the policy is mandatory and reflects legislation mandating the Response Plan for the 2026-27 school year. The policy will require districts to develop the plan, including the use of school personnel to respond to individuals experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest while on school premises.

— Policy 4825 – Cardiopulmonary Lifesaving Training: This General Assembly-mandated amendment requires districts to train all staff members on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other lifesaving methods as determined by the board.

— Policy 5215 – Traumatic Blood Loss Protocol: the mandatory update requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to develop a traumatic blood-loss protocol before Jan. 1, 2026. Based upon the DESE protocol, districts would be required to implement a policy before the end of the 2025-26 school year. Some aspects of the DESE protocol are known from a review of the legislation. James explained that the new policy discusses the maintenance of Blood Control Kits, their contents, and their location.

— Policy and Regulation 5240 – Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan: the update requires districts to develop a plan to address school safety, crises, and emergency operations, along with prevention, preparation, and follow-up crises, and collaboration with first responders. Adoption is mandatory.

— Policy 5260 – Safety Standards/Safety Coordinators (mandatory): the principal change in this existing policy is the designation of separate primary and secondary school safety coordinators, who will be required to complete specific training programs within one year of their designation.

OTHER MANDATORY POLICY ADOPTIONS

— Policy 1210 – School Year and School Day: the General Assembly has attempted to clarify its calendar legislation. Apparently, if a district has planned attendance of 169 days, but cannot conduct 169 due to “exceptional” emergency conditions or damage or dysfunction of a school facility, State aid will not be decreased. The district, however, must have an AMI Plan and have ratified the 1040-hour requirement.

— Policy and Regulation 2200 – Student Records Request: Policy 2200 added a reference to this regulation, which requires districts to request enrolling students’ behavioral threat assessment and personal safety plans in addition to the records required to be requested by Missouri Consultants for Education’s (MCE) present regulation.

— Policy 2210 – Entrance Age: this update provides that if a child is determined to have a developmental delay prior to attending kindergarten or first-grade eligibility age, the student will continue to be eligible for grade entrance.

— Policy 2600 – Discipline: the update provides that students who are suspended or expelled will be counted as in attendance for purposes of the School Improvement Plan and state aid. Recent legislation prohibits zero-tolerance consequences that result in automatic or identical consequences without the administrator’s ability to modify consequences on a case-by-case basis. The legislation (and resulting update) applies to detentions, suspensions, expulsions, and other disciplinary measures. The breadth of the last phrase is undefined.

— Policy and Regulation 2662 – Suspension: this policy repeats the out-of-school suspension/attendance set out in updated Policy 2600. Regulation 2662 is a revision of existing R2662 language, more clearly prohibiting suspended students from being present on school premises without prior administrative permission. Adoption of Policy 2662 is mandatory, and adoption of Regulation 2662 is highly recommended.

— Policy 2656 – Student Cell Phone Usage: the key phrase in this legislation is restricting cell phone use in “the district as a minimum.” Thus, MCE provided two options. The first is a slight modification of its 2008 policy banning cell phones. The second is less restrictive and tracks the language of the legislation. The disciplinary consequences in both options are within each district’s discretion.

— Policy and Regulation 2920 – Athletic, Fine Arts, Integrated Curriculum Activities: the update changes the Policy/Regulation title to conform to the new content. The updated regulation removes limits on the opportunity of full-time resident virtual students, FPE (Family Paced Education) students, and homeschool students to try out for any school interscholastic activity or activity, including athletics. These students must comply with tryouts prerequisites, physical exams, etc., required of on-site full-time district students. The update does not apply to school clubs, student government, etc.

— Policy 4412 – Active Shooter Safety and Training: The policy is updated to require that for the 2026-27 school year and each following year, the district will train all employees on specified safety aspects delineated in the new policy. School personnel may participate in simulated active shooter/intruder drills. The district is further required to annually provide age-appropriate information and training in the Courage2Report. Finally, districts will be required to include students in age-appropriate active shooter/intruder drills along with teachers and other school employees.

— Policy 4506 – Minimum Teacher Salary: this update complies with legislation deleting the requirement that a minimum-salary master’s degree be in an academic field directly related to the teacher’s assignment. Under the update, a teacher who holds a master’s degree, without restriction, is eligible for the minimum salary provided in Policy 4506.

— Policy 5205 – Removal of Lead from Water Supplies: the General Assembly’s required updates are technical changes to facilitate the testing process. For the great majority of districts, testing and remediation, where required, will be performed by outside vendors.

— Policy 5270 – Security of Buildings and Grounds: this update requires the installation of anti-intruder door locks on all existing interior doors. However, this requirement is contingent upon specific General Assembly funding.

— Policy 5520 – Code of Conduct: Free and Reduced Price Meals: the new policy provides a code of conduct, required by the Department of Agriculture, for district employees involved in the food service procurement policy. It also incorporates by reference MCE’s Policy 3000’s Procurement Policies.

— Policy 5610 – School Bus Drivers: This update names the age for bus drivers to biannually renew their non-commercial driver’s license from age 70 to age 75.

— Policy 6215 – Reading Success: this update reflects the General Assembly’s pronouncement that phonics instruction for decoding and encoding words for teaching reading is required in all districts.

— Regulation 2673 – Reporting of Violent Behavior: the regulation update requires districts to report incidents of school shootings, credible threats of school shootings, as well as threats and incidents involving firearms, explosives, knives, and other weapons as defined in MCE Regulation 2620. This reporting should begin with the issuance of DESE reporting guidelines, and further authorizes the Board of Education, at its discretion, to enter into reporting agreements with law enforcement agencies concerning the criminal acts listed in Policy 2673.

— Regulation 4411 – Professional Development Programs: the update reflects the General Assembly’s enactment that removed the Local Business Externship sunshine data of September 2024. There is no expiration with the revision.

— Regulation 5240 – Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan: this update provides for an annual site assessment.

Highly recommended policy adoptions

— Regulation 4221 – Support Staff Duties, Schedule, and Working Hours: This update reflects the General Assembly’s decision to increase the minimum wage for non-exempt employees to $13.15 an hour, effective Aug. 28, 2025. The minimum wage will increase to $15.00 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026. In so doing, the General Assembly chose to remove public schools’ exemption from the state minimum wage. Adoption is highly recommended for awareness purposes.

— Policy 1450 – Public Access to District Documents: Currently, existing Policy 1450 authorizes payment for search and retrieval costs before retrieving the documents. The new legislation provides that if payment is not made within 90 or 150 days, depending on the required costs, the document may be cancelled.

Policy 4150 – Substitute Teacher Employment: The update permits retired public-school employees to substitute and extends the expiration date for this provision until June 30, 2030, unless extended by the General Assembly.

— Policy 7115 – Guaranteed Energy Cost Savings Accounts: in recent years, contractors have been contracting with Missouri districts for guaranteed energy savings contracts. This new policy reflects Missouri statute as well as DESE guidance to assist districts and contractors in this area.

— Regulation 2240 – Admission and Tuition (Non-Resident Students): this update provides that the Board of Education may allow children of district employees (non-resident teachers already enjoy this benefit), if allowed by board action, to attend district schools tuition-free and will be counted for Average Daily Attendance. However, these non-resident students are not entitled to district transportation. Adoption is recommended only to the extent that it leaves the decision to the board.

MCE took no position on Policy 4160 – School Chaplain, which would permit, with board approval, the regular employment or designation of a “screened volunteer” to serve as a school chaplain.

Board members will conduct a final reading in October.

In other business, James told the board that elementary enrollment is “bulging” and may need to be addressed.

“In first grade, we’re on the edge of needing some additional staff,” he said. “We don’t have quite enough for another first-grade teacher, but we have put some aids in there, professional development, teaching, and learning opportunities.”

Elementary Principal Cammie Otto noted that as of the meeting on Sept. 17, enrollment was at 300 students in grades preK-5. That’s four more students than presented in August. “We’re excited to welcome them and have them join our one elementary school family,” she said, adding that several new families moved into the district recently.

• The school has a checking and investment balance of $1,109,636.73, including investments of $506,180.35 through Mid America Bank.

REPORTS

James noted that the first professional development day went well, with intruder training highlighting the day’s activities. “We feel like safety and security are paramount, and we want our staff to have a little bit more hands-on training with that,” he said.

Otto told the board that teachers and staff have embraced the district’s building-wide theme of “Reach for the Stars!” “I was super excited to see teachers and staff really embraced our theme,” she said. “Our goal this year is to reach new heights academically while instilling a love for learning in our students.”

• Otto gave a shout-out to the maintenance and custodial crew. “The building looks wonderful and welcoming! We received a huge compliment from another principal who visited our school on the cleanliness of our building,” she added. “They’re doing a great job, and we really appreciate all the hard work they do every day to make it look good.”

Otto told board members that one of the biggest positive office referrals this year surrounds students taking pride in the building and leaving it better than they found it. “When we take care of our stuff, it teaches our kids to take care of it.”

• I-Ready assessment diagnostics kicked off last month. Otto noted that students have individualized pathways based on this tool for reading and math to meet them where they are academically.

• Students participated in kickball after earning the incentive by meeting the elementary school’s first attendance goals. Otto explained that the elementary staff are monitoring ADA on the bulletin board by the front office. “We post weekly percentages for each grade level,” she explained. “Each week, the top three classes for percentages are rewarded in the classroom.”

This year, the office is also monitoring attendance percentages on a Google sheet, watching for changes and trends.

• Grandparents Day and Food for America Day will be observed on Friday, Oct. 10.

A look at the district’s test data appears in a separate story.