School committee accepts gifts, updates background-check, fundraising and student-records policies

The Braintree School Committee on Monday accepted gifts to schools and approved a set of policy updates in a unanimous vote.

The committee accepted gifts totaling $14,421 to Braintree High School, including a $10,000 donation to the science department from the WIPRO program at UMass Boston, a $3,200 grant from the state treasurer's financial-education fund for the Credit for Life program, $921 in cash and checks for the DECA program, and a $300 donation from a local store. South Middle School accepted $2,050 to support a Washington, D.C., trip, and Baystate Textiles donated $48.90. The committee approved acceptance of all gifts on a single motion.

The committee also approved five policy updates at second reading: enhanced background-check procedures (ADDA and related regulations), fundraising policy changes (JJE and JJE-R) and an update to student-records directory guidelines (JRA). Committee members described the background-check change as adding checks of the Mass. Department of Children and Families database for supported findings of abuse or neglect to existing criminal-history and CORI checks. Fundraising revisions remove a prior minor/major fundraiser distinction, move the approval authority to the building administrator and clarify planning guidance to avoid an excessive number of concurrent fundraising activities. The student-records update standardizes directory-language, using "parents/guardians" consistently.

A motion to accept the gifts was made by Dr. Horak and seconded by Ms. Tuffy; the motion passed unanimously. A second motion to adopt the policy updates was made and seconded and also passed unanimously.

The committee's finance and operations subcommittee announced upcoming budget hearing dates; members reiterated a public budget hearing on April 14 and a required school-committee budget vote no later than April 28 so the town can complete budget filings on time.