Uniform Grant Guidance and Bidding Updates

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a federal office within the executive branch, periodically adjusts the threshold amounts for federal procurement. Based on the changes in the threshold amounts for micro purchases and simplified acquisitions, CASB has updated the threshold amounts to align with this information and made other technical edits in the following policies:  

• DJB*, Federal Procurement

• DJE, Bidding Procedures

CBI/NCJA Criminal History Record Information

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is legally required to periodically audit noncriminal justice agencies (NCJAs) who request state and federal fingerprint-based criminal history record information (CHRI) background checks for the purpose of employment determination and/or volunteer placement to ensure compliance with the use, maintenance, dissemination, confidentiality, and security of this information. 

Based on feedback from the CBI, CASB has created a new policy, GBI*, that better aligns with the Criminal Justice Information Services security requirements, and has updated the following sample policies to ensure compliance: 

• GBEB, Staff Conduct (And Responsibilities)

• GDE/GDF (BOCES only)

• GCE/GCF-R, Professional Staff Recruiting/Hiring - Regulation

• GDE/GDF-R, Support Staff Recruiting/Hiring - Regulation

• NEW! GBI*, Criminal History Record Information 

Other resources

• FBI, CJIS Security Policy Resource Center

• CBI, CJIS Security Policy Resources 

Graduation Requirements

In July 2020, the State Board of Education voted to provide flexibility for Graduation Guidelines in the 2020-21 school year. Local education providers can decide if they would like to implement these graduation requirements for the class of 2021 or delay full implementation until the class of 2022.

Additionally, starting with the class of 2021, districts and LEPs must report how each student graduates according to the Graduation Guidelines Menu of Options. Accordingly, districts and LEPs must have policies in place that establish high school graduation requirements that meet or exceed the Graduation Guidelines for the class of 2021 and/or 2022.

Because of the flexibility for the class of 2021, CDE went through a stakeholder process (EDAC- Education Data Advisory Committee) to add a 12th measure to the menu – for reporting purposes only, and only for the class of 2021. This measure, called “local measure,” is in place for the class of 2021 for students who have met local graduation requirements but have not met any other measure, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This measure is district determined.

Districts can now report that students have  graduated according to “local measures” in English, or math, or English and math. The Graduation Guidelines collection is new, and it’s part of the 20-21 Student Interchange File. 

CASB has updated the following policies to reflect the flexibility provided for Graduation Guidelines. Information on the reporting requirements for the class of 2021 may be found on CDE’s website through the additional resources listed below.

• IKF, Graduation Requirements

• IKF-2, Graduation Requirements (Beginning with the Class of 2021 [or 2022])

• IKF-2-E, Graduation Requirements (Beginning with the Class of 2021 [or 2022]) - Exhibit

Other resources

• CDE, Graduation Guidelines

• CDE, Graduation Guidelines Flexibility 2021

• CDE, Data Pipeline Interchanges - Student 

Entrance Age Requirements

This year’s Public School Finance Act, HB20-1418, deleted the requirement that first graders must be 6 years old by October 1 for schools to receive funding for these pupils, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. Instead, all students in grades K-12 must be at least 5 years old as of October 1 in order to be eligible for funding.

• JEB, Entrance Age Requirements

Other resources

• CDE, 2020 Student October Count Audit Resource Guide Fiscal Year 2020-2021 (p. 35)

More Than One Primary Caregiver for the Administration of Medical Marijuana

Currently, a medical marijuana patient is limited to having one primary caregiver at a time. However, effective December 1, 2020, HB 19-1031 allows a medical marijuana patient who is under 18 years old to have each parent or guardian serve as a primary caregiver. CASB has updated the following policy and accompanying exhibit to reflect this change.

• JLCDB*, Administration of Medical Marijuana to Qualified Students

• JLCDB*-E, Administration of Medical Marijuana to Qualified Students - Exhibit

Boards should also be aware of a recent ruling by the Committee on Legal Services about State Board of Education rule 1 CCR 301-68:8.00, Requirements for the Administration of Medical Marijuana by School Personnel. 

Rule 8.01 stated that local boards had the authority to adopt policies about school personnel administration of marijuana. The Office of Legislative Legal Services (OLLS) took issue with this language, arguing that the underlying statute, C.R.S. 22-1-119.3(3)(d.5)(I), gave this authority to the principal. 

Following a rule review hearing, the Committee on Legal Services ruled in favor of OLLS and Rule 8.01 expired on May 15, 2020. The State Board did not adopt a new rule and, as such, let the medication rules stand “as is” without Rule 8.01.

It is CASB’s position that, even given the striking of Rule 8.01, the current medication rules are consistent with the overall statutory structure and the way the school districts are governed. Accordingly, CASB has not made any changes to JLCDB*—which states that staff will not administer medical marijuana and leaves it to local boards to determine, in consultation with their own legal counsel, whether to adopt a policy that allows for staff administration.

Other resources

• Administering Medical Marijuana and CBD in Schools FAQ 

Repeal of Policy on Use of Wireless Communication Devices by Transportation Vehicle Operators (BOCES)

The State Board of Education previously approved changes to the Rules for the Operation, Maintenance, and Inspection of School Transportation Vehicles, 1 CCR 301-26. One of the changes included striking Rule 4204-R-232, Cell Phones/Two-Way Radios, which required school districts/service providers to have a procedure governing the use of cell phones and two-way radios by school transportation vehicle operators. 

CASB sample policy EEAEG was previously repealed and removed from the Core policy manual and has been repealed from the BOCES policy manual as of this update.

Repealed EEAEG, Use of Wireless Communication Devices by BOCES Transportation Vehicle Operators