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The Fire Prevention Code requires that local school districts, ISDs, and PSAs that operate any grades from kindergarten to grade 12 conduct various school safety drills throughout the school year. These drills include:
Throughout the school year, we receive numerous questions about the appropriate language for, and how to implement, board policies and procedures that apply to students. Below are examples of some student-related board policies that should be in place to ensure a successful start to the school year.
Student Discipline...
As reported in the July 2017 edition of School Law Notes, local school districts, ISDs, and PSAs are required to implement a comprehensive seclusion and restraint training framework in accordance with Michigan Department of Education (MDE) guidelines that includes: (1) awareness training for all school personnel who have...
On February 22, 2017, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education jointly released a new “Dear Colleague Letter” (DCL) rescinding previous guidance about transgender students. The DCL states that the previous guidance, which instructed schools to allow students to access sex-segregated facilities based on gender identity, will not...
As part of our service to retainer clients, Thrun Law Firm, P.C., will host its annual client seminar at five locations this spring. Our spring seminars are provided at no cost to our retainer clients. The registration materials and other event details are attached. You may register online at:
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On March 22, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a student’s IEP must be “reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances” to satisfy a school’s obligation to provide students with disabilities a free appropriate public education. Endrew F. v Douglas County Sch Dist, RE-1, No. 15-827 (March 22, 2017). The decision clarifies a 35-year-old legal standard adopted by the Court in Bd of Ed of Hendrick Hudson...
In recent years, the Michigan Department of Treasury has moved to an online filing system for municipal finance forms, including the annual Qualifying Statement. Treasury’s new filing procedure has generated numerous questions and has resulted in some municipal forms being unnecessarily rejected due to simple, avoidable misunderstandings.
On Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 1:15pm at MSBO’s Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, representatives of Treasury’s Local Audit and...
In our December 22, 2016, edition of School Law Notes, we discussed the Michigan Court of Appeals’ recent decision in Michigan Gun Owners, Inc v Ann Arbor Pub Schs, Docket No. 329632 (December 16, 2016). In that case, the Michigan Court of Appeals held that public schools have the authority to adopt policies...
The recent deluge of Freedom of Information Act requests serves as a reminder to schools to ensure that their FOIA policy is up to date and that administrators are well-versed in FOIA guidelines and procedures.
FOIA officers should grant routine FOIA requests as soon as possible to avoid undue delay and the risk of losing track of unfulfilled requests. After receiving a FOIA request, school officials have only five business days to either grant or deny the request, in whole or in part...