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Hendrick Hudson board advances sweeping policy updates, adopts bullying-prevention rules
Summary
At its Dec. 17 meeting the Hendrick Hudson Board of Education approved a series of policy revisions and retirements, including a second reading and adoption of the district’s student harassment and bullying prevention policy and its regulation, and moved to reorganize governance and meeting policies.
The Hendrick Hudson Board of Education on Dec. 17 approved a package of policy changes and retirements that the administration and policy committee said updates district governance, clarifies meeting protocols and strengthens the district’s student harassment and bullying prevention procedures.
Board members took a recorded set of voice motions and unanimously moved to adopt revisions to Policy 0115, "Student Harassment and Bullying Prevention and Intervention," and its associated regulation (0115‑R). Trustees said the changes clarify definitions, timetables for filing and investigation steps and cross‑reference previously approved policies intended to strengthen protections and notification requirements. "We went through the language just to make sure that it matched what we wanted," a trustee said during the discussion.
The board also advanced multiple governance and administrative policies: new or revised language for policies on school board governance and operations (2000 series), notice of meetings (2340), special meetings (2320), work sessions (2320 as revised), and executive sessions (2330), along with amendments describing how the district communicates with legal counsel (Policy 2270). Several older, overlapping policies were retired or renumbered to prevent duplication and to align the district with the NISBA/NYSSBA recommended numbering system, trustees said.
Other action included first readings and planned follow‑up on special‑education procedures, including updated guidance on independent educational evaluations and impartial hearing officer compensation — the district noted the state or BOCES guidance sets a hearing‑officer rate of $100 per hour and that fees for bilingual or specialized evaluations may differ.
The policy committee and administration said the changes reflect legal review and input from the New York State School Boards Association, district counsel and relevant administrators; several trustees stressed that policies often reference procedures the superintendent will implement and that revisions go through multiple levels of review before final adoption. The board voted on these items by motion and voice vote during the meeting and will bring items requiring second readings back in a future meeting as required.
The meeting also included typical administrative updates and a separate agenda of reports from the superintendent and cabinet.
