Ashland School Committee approves Ashland High School student handbook with discipline policy references

The Ashland Public Schools School Committee voted to approve the Ashland High School student handbook as amended, adding references to five discipline-related policies, the committee chair said during the meeting.

Committee members approved the handbook after the committee chair asked for a motion. A committee member moved to approve and another seconded; the committee then approved the handbook by voice vote.

The handbook was updated to include references to the following policies that the Department of Education asked be listed inside the handbook: JIC (student discipline); JICFA (prohibition of hazing); JICFA/E (hazing-related procedures); JH (student absences and excuses); and JICFB (bullying prevention). The committee had previously approved the policy language but needed those policy citations added to the handbook text.

Superintendent Wayne described the change as a technical update to the previously approved policy language and asked the committee to reapprove the handbook with the added references.

The motion to approve was made and seconded during the meeting; the chair called for the voice vote and members answered “Aye.” No roll-call tally was recorded on the transcript.

The approval completes the pair of approvals the committee had left from its June meeting: the committee had accepted the policy language earlier and at this meeting confirmed the handbook now includes the required references. The committee also approved the evening’s consent agenda by voice vote later in the meeting.

The committee did not specify an effective date for the handbook in the recorded motion, nor did the transcript record any amendments to the approved policy texts themselves. The Department of Education request to reference those policy codes was cited by district staff in explaining why the handbook needed the insertion.