School committee moves policy-review work to policy subcommittee, seeks review protocol

The Marblehead School Committee agreed the year-long task of keeping the district policy manual current should be charged to the policy subcommittee, and not remain a primary full-committee goal. Committee members and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees field director said the subcommittee should adopt a written protocol that schedules periodic checks and responds when MASC policy bulletins or DESE guidance are issued. Liz Lafond, MASC field director, told the committee, “I would say every 1 to 2 years, you should make it all the way through your entire manual just to be sure that there isn’t anything else that you want to update.” She recommended breaking the manual into small sections and assigning them to subcommittee members for high-level reviews rather than redlining every policy. Members described the practical steps they expect the subcommittee to take: monitor MASC bulletins and DESE updates; cross-reference policies for language changes tied to the district strategic plan; and adopt a schedule so updates are handled incrementally rather than in a single, massive review. The committee noted it already sends policy updates when MASC issues bulletins and that some upcoming DESE guidance (for example on competency determinations) will need changes reflected in policy. The discussion produced a direction — not a formal vote to adopt a new policy — that the full committee will “move goal number 1 to the subcommittee” so the policy subcommittee can draft and adopt protocols for updates and online accessibility. Committee members also discussed adding an annual review step and having the full committee formally adopt operating protocols and signoffs to reinforce accountability. Looking ahead, committee members asked that the policy subcommittee present a written charge and timeline to the full committee, and to flag any statutory (MGL) language changes or DESE deadlines affecting required policy revisions.