PONDERAY — The Lake Pend Oreille School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to table the district’s new flags and banner policy, citing a lack of clarity from the state law Tuesday.

The policy was introduced on first reading at the board’s Sept. 9 meeting, LPOSD Superintendent Dr. Becky Meyer said at that meeting that the policy brings the district in line with Idaho code.  After discussion at the previous meeting, Meyer returned with clarity and advised the board to table the policy. 

"Dr. McLaughlin and I have walked through every single room, and we are feeling comfortable with where it is. We’ve had no complaints so far,” Meyer said. “[The attorney] said she thinks it would behoove us to wait until the Legislature comes back.” 

Trustee Jalon Peters said he’d like to see further clarification on the line in the state code that reads schools can fly flags of countries that the United States recognizes and is “not engaged in hostile action with.”  

"I remember asking about the definition of hostile action, what does that actually mean? That’s worth trying to find out if there’s an actual federal definition of that,” Peters said. “And who makes that decision? If we could have that, that would be awesome before we make a determination.” 

Meyer said that she would seek clarification on that wording from the district’s attorneys. She said that the attorney said they expect more clarification to come during the Idaho Legislature’s 2026 legislative session. That session is scheduled to convene Jan. 12, 2026.  

The board adopted a new policy on service animals in schools, setting stricter rules for students and adults who are accompanied by one. The policy only allows a dog or a miniature horse to act as a service animal in LPOSD schools. 

Dr. Joy Jansen, director of the LPOSD’s Services for Exceptional Children, said at the Sept. 9 meeting that she included miniature horses because they have been used as trained service animals in the past. Jansen said they are more often used on the East Coast and can be preferred because of their longer lifespan compared to a dog. 

The policy states that all service animals must be well groomed and not a disruption in the classroom. 

In addition to the new service animal policy, the board also approved revisions to the medical treatment training policy. The changes primarily consist of an expanded list of staff who will receive CPR, AED and first aid training. 

Several policy revisions were introduced on first reading that updated Idaho code references. The district is moving to update its policy on purchases, increasing the maximum amount without board approval to $100,000. 

The policy on bids and contracts was also revised, changing the amount that requires the district to put out formal bids from $25,000 to $250,000. 

Following the first readings, the board went into an executive session and adjourned the meeting following its conclusion. The next meeting of the LPOSD board is scheduled for Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. at the district headquarters.