When: Hempfield school board policy, personnel and legal committee meeting, Feb. 20.
What happened: The board voted to begin revising its policy regulating unmanned aircraft, commonly called drones, on school property.
Why it matters: Mike Graham, chief information officer for the school district, said the current policy only deals with using drones for educational purposes. Graham said the policy must be amended to accommodate upcoming construction project planning. Contractors such as surveyors frequently use drones.
The changes: Graham said the changes are designed to allow the superintendent to authorize the operational use of drones by contractors on district property when deemed necessary. According to district documents, the original drone usage policy was approved in 2018.
Next steps: The policy will receive a second reading at the March 11 board meeting, said district spokesperson Kelly Burkholder, in a Feb. 21 email.
Textbooks: Katherine Deisley, secondary curriculum supervisor, requested four textbook titles be purchased for next school year. Proposed expenditures include 80 copies of Environmental Science for an AP course for $13,600; 30 copies of Math and Dosage for Healthcare Professionals for $4,000; and 30 copies of Comparative Government: Stories of the World for an AP Course for $3,400; and 30 copies of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Introduction to Exercise Science for $3,450 for a dual enrollment class. District faculty will teach the dual enrollment course based on Harrisburg Area Community College’s curriculum.
Funding: Textbooks are part of Hempfield’s curriculum budget, which falls under general funds, Burkholder said after the meeting. The school board will vote on this purchase at the March 11 meeting.
Next meeting: The school board will hold its building and grounds/finance committee meeting at 5 p.m. on Feb. 25 in the administration building at 200 Church St., Landisville.
