The Newburgh City School District policy committee recommended a first reading of an umbrella coaches policy that would set board expectations for coaches, clarify qualifications and definitions, and require alignment with the coaches handbook and collective bargaining agreements.

Acting Superintendent Onyx Peterson presented the draft policy as an umbrella document to articulate what the board expects from coaches and what management will require. She said the policy would be paired with a regulation and would “solidify” expectations already found in the coaches handbook, including licensing or qualifications, annual professional development and coaching evaluation.

Ray Bergarelli asked how the policy would reference the existing coaches handbook; Peterson said she would add language requiring annual receipt of the coaches handbook and make clear that the policy does not limit additional handbook provisions. Margo May suggested a line clarifying that nothing in the new policy would limit provisions already in the handbook.

Peterson said the draft aligns with the district’s collective bargaining agreements and state rules for interscholastic athletics (as referenced in the draft), and that including an explicit link to the handbook would strengthen enforcement. Committee members agreed the document should be presented to the board as a first reading; no final adoption occurred at the meeting.

The committee did not vote on specific regulatory text during the meeting; it asked staff to add language clarifying the relationship between the board policy, the handbook, and management regulations before presenting the item for board action.