BELLE — Missouri school districts were required to adopt a series of new policy updates by July 1 including HB 432 on lactation support, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Maries County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham brought the policy to the board of education’s attention during the April 26 meeting. She said that teachers within the district choose to use other accommodations rather than the facilities set aside.

“We work with them,” Basham said.

Belle High School Principal Garret Haslag said he was not aware of any students in the 2021-22 school year who had need of the lactation room.

“There is always the potential to have students who would be in need of such a facility,” Haslag said.

Haslag added that several Belle Elementary School teachers were expecting towards the end of the 2021-22 school year.

“We certainly have teachers who would take advantage of (the accommodations),” he said. “In the high school, we don’t have anyone who would need the lactation space. We will have some in the district throughout every building.”

While the additional accommodations are timely considering the formula shortage that has been a problem in the United States since January 2022, HB 432 actually predates the deficiency in supplies.

“This legislation came from December 2021,” Basham said. “Neither (items) are necessarily student-related.”

Gasconade County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy brought the policy to the board of education’s attention during the May 16 meeting.

“It’s for teachers,” Hardy said. “We have already set up an area, but the teachers don’t want to use that area. It is kind of their choice. So we make arrangements for them to use the area that they would like and how to navigate that so someone doesn’t walk in. That is what we have done so far. We do have the space available.”

Hardy further explained that the new policy has specific requirements for the lactation space.

“You have to have running water and it can’t be attached to the bathroom,” Hardy said. “Some districts have brought in portable water supplies.”

The lactation support policy is not new. This is the second year that the policy has had additional accommodations to approve.

“There was a few things on the law the year prior and that is when we came up with our rooms,” Hardy said. “So if someone needs it, they will have it.”

She said that teachers who were lactating in the 2021-22 school year already had arrangements made. No students were requesting the use of the facilities while school was still in session.

“I have at other schools I have worked at,” Hardy said. “But we always made provisions for them. No one uses (the rooms set aside) so right now they are being used for something else, but if someone were to need them, we have the rooms and the policy is in place.”

According to the reference copy from DESE, “This policy was previously considered supplemental. MSBA now recommends that all districts adopt this policy. House Bill 432 (2021) requires school districts to adopt written policies to provide accommodations to lactating employees and students to express breast milk, breastfeed a child or address other needs related to breastfeeding. The district is required to have a policy adopted before July 1, 2022.”

According to the new law, the district must:

Provide a minimum of three opportunities during a school day to accommodate expressing breast milk or breastfeeding a child.

Make accommodations for at least one year after the birth of the child, though districts may provide accommodations for a longer period.

Designate a room in each building, other than a restroom, exclusively for lactation activities such as breastfeeding or expressing milk.

Ensure that the designated room is near a sink with running water and a refrigerator for storage.

Ensure that the designated room has ventilation, a door that may be locked, a work surface, a chair, and convenient electrical outlets.

The policy also addresses members of the public who are nursing as well. Section 191.918 RSMo., allows breastfeeding or expressing milk, with discretion, in any public or private location where the person is otherwise authorized to be.

DESE has filed the policy under EBBC in its policy manual.

Additional policy adoptions include professional staff short-term leaves; corporal punishment; and student seclusion and restraint.