School committee hears first readings: wellness, emergency plans, universal free meals policy updates and gifts review language

The Braintree School Committee received first readings on multiple policy updates the policy and education subcommittee recommended, including a revised district wellness policy and a new emergency plans policy that would replace the COVID-era face-covering policy.

Superintendent and subcommittee members introduced the package and several district staff presented background. Sarah Carroll, director of school nutrition, said the district participated in the Massachusetts School Wellness Coaching Program and used the WellSAT tool to evaluate the wellness policy. "School districts are required by federal and state law to have a wellness policy that supports the health and well-being of students and staff, and that policy is supposed to be reviewed every three years," Carroll said. She added the district’s revised wellness policy was reviewed by a consultant at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and received her approval for submission as the first-reading draft.

The committee also reviewed a proposed EBC emergency plans policy intended to replace Policy EBC FA (Face Coverings). The proposed EBC would provide a broader framework for emergency response procedures than the pandemic-era face-covering rule. Kristen Lachin, district nursing director, and Melanie Bennett, director of health and wellness and physical education, were listed as contributors to the revision.

Under policy EFC, the district is proposing to update the lunch-charge language to reflect Massachusetts’ universal free school meals program. Committee members asked whether the policy would commit the district to provide free meals if state funding through the Fair Share Amendment were to end. Carroll responded that the policy currently states the district will participate in the National School Lunch Program and the Massachusetts Universal Free Meals Program "and other food programs that become available to assure that all students in schools receive healthy nutritious school meals." Committee members asked staff to add clarifying language explaining how the district would respond if state funding were no longer available; staff agreed to draft such clarification before the second reading.

The subcommittee also proposed adding an EFE civil-rights complaint policy specific to child nutrition programs, following DESE advice and the state’s recent review of the district nutrition program. Finally, the subcommittee recommended a revision to Policy KCD (Gifts to Schools) that would add the line: gifts that would involve changes in school plans or sites would be subject to School Committee approval. The committee discussed what that phrase would mean in practice; presenters explained it was intended to require committee approval for donations that would change school sites or physical school plans (for example, additions to school grounds).

All of the proposed policies were presented as first readings; the committee did not take final votes. Committee members requested (1) clearer language on whether universal free meals would remain if state funding ended, and (2) an explicit clarification in the EBC emergency plans policy about how proposals that intersect with forthcoming state legislation (for example, any new state requirements related to emergency communications or cell phone provisions) would be addressed. The committee expects a second reading and potential vote at a future meeting after those clarifications are incorporated.

By the committee’s account, the package was developed after a policy and education subcommittee meeting held Sept. 16 and drew on guidance from DESE, MASC (Massachusetts Association of School Committees) templates and the state school wellness coaching program.