Shepherd School District Packet Summary — August 3, 2026
Policy Committee Focus
The Shepherd School District Policy Committee is scheduled to review a broad set of draft policy and procedure revisions at its August 3 meeting. The agenda groups the proposals into the 1000 through 5000 policy series, with recommendations that the committee approve the listed items for a first reading.
The packet describes changes involving student safety and background checks, board student representation, instruction and graduation requirements, student searches and drug testing, spectator conduct, employee leave, Title IX procedures, hiring practices, and student records.
Student Safety and Background Checks
Policies 3665, 5122 and 2600
The committee is scheduled to consider Policies 3665, 5122 and 2600 for a first reading. The packet says the revisions respond to HB 745, which amended Montana law to require school districts to adopt a student protection policy addressing background checks before an individual has unsupervised access to students.
- Policy 3665 — Student Safety: The draft would prohibit students from having unsupervised contact at school, school-sponsored activities or during district transportation with adults who have not undergone the required fingerprint-based national criminal history background check. The draft also defines terms including "contact," "unsupervised," "school-sponsored activity" and "momentary absence."
- Policy 5122 — Fingerprints and Criminal Background Investigations: The proposal addresses fingerprint-based background checks for employees, certain contractors, volunteers and substitute teachers before they have unsupervised contact with students.
- Policy 2600 — Work Based Learning: The draft incorporates background-check requirements into work-based learning placements. Providers or their employees who will have unsupervised student contact would need to complete the district volunteer agreement and satisfy the fingerprint-based background-check requirement.
Policy 2600 also describes work-based learning programs that combine classroom instruction and on-the-job experience. One provision would allow students age 16 or older working at qualifying congregate-care, child-care or school-age programs to earn one graduation credit for every 8,100 minutes worked, subject to district requirements.
Board Governance
Student Representatives on the Board
Policy 1105, Membership and Terms of Office, is scheduled for consideration as a first-reading item. The packet says the amendment adds optional language for student representation on the Board of Trustees.
The draft would authorize up to two Shepherd High School students to serve in a nonvoting capacity. Student representatives could attend regular meetings, report on high school activities, raise student issues and speak on agenda items, but they could not make, second or vote on motions and would be excluded from executive sessions and confidential materials.
The proposed representatives would come from the junior and senior classes, require advance parent or guardian permission to apply, and generally serve for one school year.
Instruction, Calendar and Graduation Policies
The committee is scheduled to review eight policies and procedures in the 2000 series for first reading.
- Policy 2050 — Innovative Student Instruction: Proposed revisions are described as grammatical, organizational and clarity changes. The draft addresses onsite, offsite and online instruction, remote instruction, proficiency-based learning and calculation of instructional hours.
- Policy 2100 — School Calendar and Day: The proposed amendment clarifies professional development days. The draft provides for seven pupil instruction-related days for purposes including staff orientation, professional development, parent-teacher conferences and post-school records and reports, while allowing trustees to schedule additional professional development days under specified conditions.
- Policy 2151 — Interscholastic Activities: The packet says the amendment corrects assumption-of-risk language because districts cannot transfer "all risks for injuries resulting from participation" to parents through policy.
- Procedure 2170-P1 — Digital Academy Classes: The draft sets conditions for grades 9–12 to participate in Montana Digital Academy courses, including enrollment, course-plan approval, eligibility requirements and provisions governing fees.
- Policy 2171 — Significant Writing Program: The draft contains alternative language for the district's significant writing approach, with the packet indicating that optional language is to be selected.
- Policy 2410 — High School Graduation Requirements: The amendment addresses graduation-requirement language already included in district policy.
- Procedure 2410-P1 — High School Graduation Requirements: The draft covers publication of requirements, credits, waivers, alternative programs, dual credit, honor roll, class rank, early graduation and educational disruptions.
- Procedure 2410-P2 — Graduate Profile: The packet says the amendment adds Shepherd School District's local graduate profile.
Graduation Requirements and Graduate Profile
The draft Policy 2410 states that Shepherd High School students generally need at least 24 credits, including 16½ required-subject credits, to receive a diploma. It also addresses transfer students, participation in graduation activities and college visitation days.
The graduate-profile materials identify attributes including conflict communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, timeliness and dependability, self-management and responsibility, enthusiasm, and community-mindedness/global citizenship.
Student Conduct, Searches and Drug Testing
Seven items in the 3000 series are scheduled for first-reading consideration.
Searches and Seizures
The packet says the proposed amendment to Policy 3231 eliminates language referring to "pat down" searches of students by district personnel. The broader draft continues to authorize reasonable searches when justified and appropriately limited, including searches involving student belongings and district property.
Policy 3340 would be revised to add language matching Policy 3341. The draft applies to middle and high school students participating in extracurricular and co-curricular activities and prohibits specified alcohol, nicotine, tobacco and illegal-drug conduct.
The draft describes escalating consequences: a first confirmed violation carries a 30-school-day suspension from extracurricular activities, a second carries 60 school days, and a third results in removal from extracurricular activities for one calendar year.
Drug-Testing Policy
The packet says Policy 3341 would be amended to include middle school students and oral-fluid testing. The draft describes a mandatory testing program for participating students in grades 6–12, including random testing conducted by a third party.
The draft also addresses scheduled, random, reasonable-suspicion, return-to-play and follow-up testing. It contains procedures for confidentiality, specimen testing, appeals and consequences following positive tests or refusal to cooperate with testing requirements.
Other Student Policy Changes
- Policy 3110 — Entrance, Placement and Transfer: Proposed changes are intended to provide greater consistency with statute.
- Policy 3120 — Compulsory Attendance: The amendment is described as reducing unnecessary language for brevity and clarity.
- Procedure 3225-P1 — Sexual Harassment of Students: The proposed amendment eliminates a requirement that the written determination be provided within 60 days of receiving a complaint; the packet says that deadline is not legally required and may not be possible in many cases.
- Procedure 3600-P1 — Student Records: The amendment clarifies access to records documenting releases of student information by other persons authorized under federal law for auditing purposes.
Spectator Conduct
Policy 4315, Visitors and Spectator Conduct, is scheduled for first-reading consideration. The packet says the proposed amendments are intended to align district policy with a new Montana High School Association spectator policy.
The draft addresses sportsmanship, spectator behavior, ejections and access to school events. It incorporates MHSA language under which an attendee ejected by mutual agreement of an official and administration would face a minimum suspension affecting subsequent games or events, with a second ejection during a school year carrying a minimum one-calendar-year suspension from MHSA regular- and postseason events.
The draft also preserves district authority to impose or recommend additional consequences and establishes procedures concerning restrictions on future access to school buildings, property or events.
Employee Policies and Leave
The committee is scheduled to consider a group of 5000-series policies and procedures for first reading.
Sick, Personal, Emergency and Civic Duty Leave
Policy 5321 would be retitled Sick Leave, with language concerning personal and emergency leave and civic duty leave moved into two new policies.
- Policy 5323 — Personal and Emergency Leave: This is a new draft policy. It provides for personal or emergency leave upon the superintendent's recommendation and subject to district policy and applicable collective bargaining agreements. It also sets notice requirements and permits the superintendent, in unusual or exceptional circumstances, to grant immediate leave pending board approval.
- Policy 5324 — Civic Duty Leave: This is another new draft policy. It addresses jury duty, witness subpoenas and leave for employees elected or appointed to public office. For qualifying public service, the draft provides for leave of up to 180 days per year and addresses return-to-work and benefit provisions.
- Policy 5322 — Military Leave: Proposed revisions are intended to improve consistency with Montana statute. The draft provides eligible employees 120 hours of paid military leave per calendar or academic year after six months of employment, with unused leave carrying forward subject to a 240-hour maximum.
Hiring and Background-Check Records
Procedure 5120-P1, Hiring Process and Criteria, is proposed for amendment to clarify criminal-history documentation retention requirements. The packet says criminal history record information must be maintained for at least two years following creation of the record or the hiring decision, whichever is later.
Employee Title IX Procedure
Procedure 5012-P1, Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure — Employees, is also scheduled for first-reading consideration. As with the student procedure, the packet says the amendment removes a requirement that a written determination be provided within 60 days of receipt of a complaint because that deadline is not required by law and may not always be achievable.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The committee's agenda is centered on first-reading recommendations rather than final outcomes documented in the packet. Several drafts still contain optional language, selections or other material that appears to require local choices, making those details particularly relevant during committee review.
Key areas to watch include:
- How the district applies HB 745 background-check requirements to employees, volunteers, contractors and work-based learning settings.
- Whether and how the district moves forward with nonvoting student representatives on the Board of Trustees.
- Which local options are selected for the Significant Writing Program and Montana Digital Academy procedures.
- How proposed changes to student searches, extracurricular chemical-use rules and drug testing are incorporated into district policy.
- How the district aligns spectator consequences with the new MHSA provisions.
- How employee leave provisions are separated among sick leave, personal and emergency leave, military leave and civic duty leave.
