The Austin Public Schools Board has done its homework for the upcoming school year.

At a Monday evening meeting, the district approved policy and handbook changes for the 2013-2014 school year. Included were changes to the Elementary Parent Handbook, approval of a summer school handbook, revisions to the Ellis Middle School student agenda and a revised listing of the district’s rights and responsibilities for students.

Proposed changes to the Elementary Handbook included details on how parents provide input on their child’s class placement, and expanded hours at Kids Korner to 6 p.m.

The changes also involved expanded privileges for using cell phones and other personal electronic devices in school. The policy leaves the use of such devices to each school’s administration, but allows the possibility for them to be used for educational purposes. If the devices prove distracting or violate other school policies, a staff member can require that they be put away.

Sumner Elementary principal Sheila Berger said Sumner was not yet encouraging students to bring their cell phones to class, but intended to stay open to the role of technology as a fixture of daily life.

“As fast as things are changing, we’re just trying to do a bit of forward thinking,” Berger said.

On Ellis’ student agenda, many of the changes were minor tweaks to accommodate the shift of the sixth grade from the middle school to I.J. Holton Intermediate School, which opens in the fall. Principal Jason Senne said athletics programs, course offerings and the school’s calendars have all been adjusted accordingly.

On the summer school end, David Wolff said the district’s attention would be set on gearing students up for start of classes in the fall, rather than remedial instruction. Three weeks will be added on during August before the school year officially begins.

“This year our focus is on accelerating student learning,” he said.

Look to the Tuesday print edition of the Herald for more on the Austin Public Schools Board.