School committee reviews proposed policy requiring chaperone clearance for overnight trips

The North Andover School Committee took a first look Nov. 20 at a proposed revision to policy JJH that would require all adult chaperones on overnight student trips to have an approved background check on file for the current school year.

Policy liaisons Miss Sams and Mr. Hicks said the redlined policy adds language that all adult chaperones attending overnight field trips must have an approved "quarry" on file with North Andover Public Schools for that school year, and that final approval of trips will include verification that all chaperones’ checks have been completed. "All adult chaperones attending overnight field trips with students must have a quarry that has been approved within this current school year on file with North Andover Public Schools," Miss Sams read.

Committee members asked who will operationalize verification for trips approved months or years in advance; administration responded that principals will be responsible to verify chaperone clearance before a trip departs and that background checks (including fingerprinting where required) can be completed at central office free of charge. The superintendent noted that some fingerprinting is done externally for employees, but the chaperone process is handled internally.

Members said the policy update mostly aligns with MASC guidance and cleans up a gap between current practice and written policy. The item was presented as a first read; the committee invited public input before a final vote at the next meeting.