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Committee updates exemption-from-instruction policy to reflect Supreme Court ruling
Summary
The committee reviewed revisions to policy 6144.1 clarifying how parents can request excusal from instruction; the update incorporates consideration of requests that fall outside the five statutorily mandated excusable topics in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Mahmoud v. Taylor and adds a process for parents to request a meeting with school administration.
The Wallingford Public Schools Instructional Committee on March 16 reviewed proposed changes to instructional policy 6144.1 addressing exemptions from specified areas of instruction. Mrs. Latorre, Committee member, told the committee that state law still requires boards to permit curricular exemptions in five specific areas, but that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Mahmoud v. Taylor, requires district administrators to consider requests from parents who claim instruction burdens their religious upbringing even when those requests fall outside the five mandatory categories.
The draft policy, prepared by Shipman and Goodwin, clarifies that district administration will consider requests for excusal beyond the five statutory areas in accordance with applicable law and adds a procedural change allowing parents to request a meeting with school administration when concerns arise. Mrs. Latorre noted that the five mandatory excusable areas have not changed and that the revised policy is shaded in the draft to show the updates.
No formal vote to adopt the revision was recorded in the meeting transcript; the committee reviewed the change and accepted the discussion as presented before moving to other agenda items.
