New School Year Begins This Week With New Policies

School bells will be ringing for city and counties schools each day this week. With the start of school also comes some new policies students and parents need to know.

While students have enjoyed the last glorious days of summer vacation, teachers have already been in the classroom. They have been working for weeks to prepare for the school year by setting up classrooms, developing lesson plans and getting familiar with new policy changes.

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Here is the list for the first day of classes for students across the region this week:

• Today: Perry, Lamar and Sumter County Schools began classes this morning,
• Tuesday: Pickens County Schools,
• Wednesday: Greene County Schools,
• Thursday: Demopolis and Linden City Schools, along with Bibb, Fayette, Hale, Marengo and Tuscaloosa City & County schools,
• Friday: Jasper City and Walker County Schools, as well as Sumter County Schools.

Actions by the Alabama Legislature this past session have made for some significant changes this school year. Among them are:

1.  The FOCUS ACT: The new law is intended to help focus student attention on academics rather than their cellphones. As written, the law generally, "...prohibits cellphones and other handheld electronic devices in public schools during the instructional day, including class changes, breaks, and lunch." (HB166). Exceptions are made for documented educational or medical needs and emergencies.
2. Bathroom Use: K-12 students are now required to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match the gender listed on their original birth certificate, despite how they currently identify.
3. PARENTS RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT: Gives parents more access to curriculum information.
4. The CHOOSE ACT: The law, which is active for this school year, created a $100 million annual education savings account, or ESA, for families of students to draw from toward eligible education expenses. Eligible families will now have the option to receive $7,000 to pay for private school tuition starting this school year.
5. Virtual Learning Testing: Students enrolled in full-time virtual learning will be allowed to take state standardized tests remotely.
6. Health Requirement: Schools are now required to develop an emergency response plan for cardiac emergencies and staff must be trained in the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED).
7. Workforce Pathways Deveopment: Gives high school students more flexibility in math and science courses through the new Workforce Pathways diploma.
8. Teacher Bill of Rights: Defines the process for teachers removing disruptive students from class and requirements that must be met for them to return.
9. Child Labor: Allows parents to be the lone decision maker in whether their 14- or 15-year-old can work during after school hours.

Parents are urged to contact their local school board to determine how the changes for this school year are being carried out.