POLICY MANUAL AND EDUCATION CODE:

The Policy Manual for the school district may be accessed here:  Katy ISD's Board Policies

Whenever there is a question regarding the legality of something that affects one's children in the public schools, one should refer to the Board Policy Manual which is maintained by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).

All policies therein are interpretations made by attorneys at the TASB. 

There are "legal" policies and there are "local" policies.  The TASB creates the local policies.  I'm probably the only school board member ever who tried to create "local" policy.  I was shot down in an extraordinary show of rejection by the superintendent (Leonard Merrell).  God forbid they have school board members writing policy--even though that is one of their stipulated powers! 

The TASB sends a few "local" policies to the school district's designated administrator, and that person decides which of the "local" policies will float with the board members.  Of course the board members are usually not told that there are several to choose from.  God forbid that they be allowed to make a decision on their own. I know all of this because I asked Bonnie Holland, and she told me.

For the original law, look at the bottom of the page in the Policy Manual and then go to the Texas Education Code to find that law.

Here is a link to the Education Code: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/

 The Administrative Code is a document that is harder to find.  This Code is supposed to be a collection of the implementation of all the things the school board votes to implement.  By law the superintendent is required to create administrative policy to enact their wishes.  That doesn't happen either.  When I was on the Board for five years, very few pages were added to the Administrative Code during which time the Board passed all sorts of things that should have appeared in the Administrative Code book.

 When I was "just a parent" once I asked to see the Administrative Code.  As it turned out, the principal was using it for a seat cushion, and it was very difficult to get him to turn it loose.  I had to sit in his outer office to look at it!

In my opinion, a copy of these policies needs to be in every school library and not under lock and key.

Board policies are altered as needed about twice a year.  When that happens one can see the letter designations listed on the Board's meeting agenda.  The only way the public can find out what policies are changed is to make copies of the one's that exist and then wait until about a month after the board meeting and copy the same policies and then compare them. Most of the time Board members haven't a clue what is being changed.  I used to go in and go over all of them, as I considered that part of my oversight responsibility.  But I doubt that anyone else has ever done that.  Mrs. Holland was always very tolerant of my interest, and I appreciated that attitude.

 In my opinion ALL changes should be spelled out in the Board's agenda, but that's wishful thinking.  No way such a transparent move will ever be allowed.