The Marblehead School Committee voted to approve updated language in the Marblehead Public Schools (MPS) handbooks stating that signing the handbook will provide consent for district surveys under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), while retaining an explicit opt-out, Superintendent John Robodeau said. The motion carried with three members recorded explicitly as voting in favor and one abstention noted during the meeting.

Committee members said the change is intended to "operationalize" policy ILD so the district can administer large-scale surveys (for example, a high school survey covering about 800 students) without reopening individual consent steps each time. Julia (district staff) said the handbook language is meant to align with "NASC" and to ensure families have both consent and an "opportunity to opt out." Superintendent John Robodeau said similar handbook approaches are used elsewhere and compared the survey consent language to longstanding photo-consent practices.

The discussion centered on whether obtaining consent by accepting an electronic handbook at the start of the year satisfies the district's current ILD policy language, which references "without prior written consent." A committee member asked whether the district had consulted counsel and warned that adopting "blanket consent" with only an opt-out could be inconsistent with the spirit of ILD and possibly with state or federal requirements. Robodeau said the handbook update follows the current MASC wording in the policy manual and that the administration would notify families by email with "plenty of time to opt out" when a sensitive survey is scheduled.

Board members asked for clarifications of operational details: how non-responding families would be handled, whether sample surveys would be provided in advance, and whether direct notification methods (email vs. U.S. mail) meet the statute's notice intent. Julia and the superintendent said the administration would ensure direct notification to parents prior to sensitive surveys and would finalize procedures to document opt-outs. Members also agreed that if policy ILD changes at a future meeting, handbook language would be revisited to reflect that policy change.

The committee recorded that the handbook update is intended to implement current policy ILD as it appears in the MASC template and to preserve parental opt-out rights for the eight categories specified in the policy. Committee members asked administration to tighten procedures for advance notice, sample review opportunities, and proof of opt-out handling.

The committee did not rescind the motion after the discussion; the superintendent said administration will circulate clearer operational steps and will update the handbook if the committee amends ILD in the coming weeks.