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Cromwell board approves inclusive wording and statutory alignment in policy updates
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Summary
The board approved several policy changes on second read, including adding “birth name” alongside “maiden name” in confidentiality policy, aligning the hazing definition in student‑discipline policy with Connecticut statute, and adding veteran status to protected classes in the library collection policy.
At its April 7 meeting the Cromwell Board of Education advanced a bundle of policy updates and approved several amendments intended to increase inclusivity and align district procedures with state law.
On a second read of a confidentiality and educational‑records policy (series 5000), Miss Lam proposed adding “birth name” after “maiden name” to make the language inclusive of parents who may not identify with the term “maiden name.” The board accepted the friendly amendment; administration said the change was non‑substantive and that staff would confirm with the district attorney as a routine step.
For the student‑discipline series the board accepted a motion to add a definition of “hazing” and to align the policy with the current Connecticut General Statutes; a member cited the statutory citation (Chapter 939 section 53‑23a) and the board moved the amendment forward pending final verification with Shipman & Goodwin (the district’s policy attorneys) where appropriate.
In a separate second read, the board approved language adding veteran status to the list of protected classes in the library collection and related sections to ensure broader nondiscrimination coverage.
Multiple policy batches (items a–i, k–p) were moved forward on second read as presented; the chair and committee members noted that many policies come from the district’s policy counsel and that these incremental edits aim to improve clarity and inclusivity.
