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Chariho committee approves NEA tentative agreement, student-assistance counseling contract and routine business
Summary
The Chariho School Committee on Sept. 23 approved a three-year tentative agreement with the NEA, a student-assistance counseling contract (approx. $30,000), the district virtual learning plan, multiple out-of-state trips, RIDE equipment MOA for CTE funding, budget transfers and consent agenda items; several items prompted clarifying questions but all motions passed unanimously.
At its Sept. 23 meeting the Chariho Regional School Committee approved multiple business items, including a tentative agreement with the educators’ union, a student-assistance counseling contract, updates to policy, and routine budget and consent items.
The chair moved and the committee considered the NEA certified final tentative agreement, thanking negotiation subcommittee members and union negotiators. Committee members noted that the union planned to ratify the contract; the committee moved and recorded the vote on the agreement.
The committee also considered a student-assistance counseling contract (packet language cited a contract amount of about $30,000 for the school year). Members asked whether the contract provisions implied an automatic opt-in for some services and raised questions about parental notification when students are age 16 or older and state law allows certain counseling without parental consent. Superintendent Gina Picard said that the district’s code of conduct requires student-assistance counseling in some circumstances and that counselors retain confidentiality consistent with state law; she said families are typically notified except in legally defined circumstances of imminent harm.
Other approvals included the district’s virtual learning day plan (updated school lists), approval of out-of-state field trips as a group, and an MOA to accept RIDE equipment funding for CTE programs. The committee approved budget transfers as presented and accepted the consent agenda (minutes and donations) as a group. Members raised minor clarifying edits to one contract’s insurance language before voting.
All recorded motions in this business block were approved by the committee during the meeting and the clerk recorded votes or indicated unanimous consent where noted.
What’s next: administration will implement contracts and post updated presentation materials online; the superintendent and staff will follow up on parental-notification questions raised during discussion of the counseling contract.
