SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock Area School Board approved first reading of changes to a student expression policy that prompted a threat of legal action earlier this month.

“It needed updated,” said Sara Whitman, board president. “It was very outdated.”

The vote was 8-0. Diane Double was absent.

Policy 220 deals with student expression and creates a procedure for students who want to distribute or post materials in the district's schools.

Superintendent Alfonso Angelucci said the current policy was enacted in 1988.

“Basically, it's bringing it up to date with current language and accepted policy,” Angelucci said. “Regardless of whether we got a legal letter or not, we needed to address it.”

The district was one of two districts in the county named among 55 districts nationwide by the Independence Law Center, based in Harrisburg.

The center gave the districts until last Friday to correct or remove the policy, which the group said limited students' ability to express their religious beliefs at school.

The center threatened to take legal action if the deadline was not met.

“We met the deadlines,” Angelucci said. “We have communicated with that particular group. We don't have any concerns at this time.”

In addition to Policy 220, the board also approved first reading on changes to Policy 913, which deals with non-school organizations, groups and individuals.

“We wanted that one to piggyback off 220,” Angelucci said. “There was some residual impact with that policy.”

Butler Area School Board, the other district in the county to receive a letter from the group, passed the first reading of its changes last week.

Butler's changes would ask for students to submit materials for review one day before they intend to post the material, and it also implemented an appeals process.