Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, along with other national or state affiliated organizations, would be able to give presentations at Bismarck Public Schools if a new set of guidelines passes the Bismarck School Board.

The recommended guidelines were discussed at the Bismarck School Board meeting Monday night. The changes to the school community organization policy came at the urging of the Boy Scouts in March. The group wanted to be exempt from a policy that would not allow them to make presentations at school.

In previous years, Boy Scouts would make arrangements with school principals to come in and make presentations. As leadership changed at some elementary schools, the organization's access to some schools was restricted.

The board directed district administration to review the policy and come back with a recommendation. Superintendent Paul Johnson created a committee comprised of himself, the district community relations director, two school principals, two representatives from Boy Scouts, one representative from Girl Scouts and a representative from Burleigh County Extension on behalf of 4-H.

Organizations could be exempt from the policy if the met the following guidelines: Have a national or state affiliate, have year-round activities, provide studies to support "the positive effect of the program," incorporate life skills and volunteering, make the program open to all students, offer the program with no charge or have scholarships available, and have procedures for screening and training volunteers.

Exempt organizations would be able to give presentations toward the end of the school day for up to 15 minutes. Organizations that did to qualify for an exemption could put information in the Friday Flier, a district newsletter that goes home to students weekly.

"I felt it needed to be purposefully narrow," Johnson said about the guidelines.

There are 150 organizations that advertise student activities in the Friday Flier, he said.

Most board members agreed with the proposed guidelines. Board member Dan Kuntz was the only board member against the guidelines.

"I'm thinking it is too restrictive," Kuntz said.

The criteria made it so the organizations who were on the committee could participate. He wanted the guidelines to be broader to include other groups that might appeal to students.

Board member Marcia Olson suggested a fair as a possibility to provide more opportunities to students. The committee discussed a fair, Johnson said, but it was not well received by members of the committee.

The administrative rule for the policy on school community organizations will be rewritten to accommodate the proposed guidelines, and it will be brought back to the school board at its meeting in July or August.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)