School committee reviews updated student handbook, aligns chemical-health and attendance rules and reverts Title IX policies after state guidance

District staff presented a comprehensive update to the student handbook and the school committee considered several policy changes at the April 15 meeting.

Mr. Silva (district staff) walked the committee through substantive handbook edits. Notable changes included aligning the district's chemical-health disciplinary thresholds with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) standard: first-time offenses will carry a 25% penalty if a student completes six sessions with the district health coach (the prior district penalty had been higher). Second offenses would reduce from 60% to 40% if the student completes the coaching model. The handbook also proposes attendance-related credit-recovery thresholds tied to the state's 10% chronic absenteeism standard: using 6 and 14 absence thresholds so students could recover credit through make-up work or programs outside regular school hours.

Staff described other changes: work to publish the district strategic plan on the public ClearGov site, ongoing North River Collaborative audit to examine chronic absenteeism and culturally responsive instruction, and a temporary pause on early-college language pending state funding clarity (the district has a new Bridgewater State College partnership providing in-person early-childhood coursework).

Separately, policy subcommittee members reported that recent state guidance required the district to revert several locally amended Title IX-related policies back to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) model language. The committee voted to waive second readings and approved the reversion of policies tied to Title IX and nondiscrimination; it also adopted an additional line (added after a DESE-related food services audit) stating that "students may not be discriminated against for requiring meal modifications." The committee approved the Title IX policy reversion and the added food-service nondiscrimination line by voice votes.

Committee members asked staff to confirm links between handbook sections and the district's governing policies so the handbook remained consistent with board policy. Several members asked for a clarifying addition to the handbook to reference acceptable use and district computers when listing student obligations.

The committee scheduled final handbook action following policy review; staff will incorporate committee feedback and return the document for final vote and publication.