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School committee updates bullying-prevention plan to add protections regardless of legal status
Summary
The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District updated its biennial bullying prevention and intervention plan to align with DESE guidance, adding an explicit statement that students receive protections regardless of legal status and expanding protected categories, social-media safety and family resources; the committee voted to consider approval.
The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District school committee reviewed a revised bullying prevention and intervention plan and moved to approve it after a presenter summarized substantive changes that align the document with state guidance.
Superintendent John Provost presented the update and said the most important substantive change is a new DESE-consistent statement that the district "reports all students the same protections from bullying and retaliation regardless of their legal status." He said the DEI team reviewed the document with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education checklist to ensure all required elements were included.
The revision replaces the term "homeless students" with "students experiencing homelessness" and explicitly adds students in foster care, migrant students and military-connected students to groups the plan references. The plan also adds social-media and internet safety to the list of considerations and expands Character Strong from a high-school program to a middle- and high-school curriculum. The presenter noted a clarification that equity circles and the "Kindness Project" are being used at Sewell Road Elementary and that the district website now contains family-facing resources to support anti-bullying efforts at home.
After the presentation, the presenter asked the committee to approve the updated plan and a motion was made and seconded. Committee members asked clarifying questions about a grant-funded position referenced in the packet and whether the website links were live. The presenter confirmed the reporting and intervention form was added to the website and that personnel changes were updated in the document.
The transcript records the motion and a second; the committee moved toward a vote and discussion but the definitive roll-call result is not specified in the segment provided. The committee placed the revised plan before members for consideration, and the packet was submitted for the committee's approval process.
The committee said it would continue to refine implementation details, including website updates and family-collaboration materials, and the presenter noted the plan will be updated on the district site to reflect the changes.
