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Policy subcommittee advances wellness, transportation and suicide‑prevention updates to full Board
Summary
The Newtown School District Policy Sub‑Committee voted to forward updated policies on wellness, use of facilities, staff transportation rules and suicide prevention — including WELLSAT‑driven changes and adoption of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale — to the full Board for consideration.
The Newtown School District Board of Education Policy Sub‑Committee on May 5 reviewed and forwarded several policy and regulation updates, including revisions to the district wellness policy, a new staff transportation regulation, updates to suicide‑prevention guidelines and clarifications to the superintendent policy.
Kara DiBartolo reviewed mandatory updates to Policy 5155 following the district’s triennial WELLSAT assessment, saying the draft expands the District Wellness Committee’s role and adds compliance language to align with U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition standards. The update includes requirements for staff training and certification in child nutrition. Committee members discussed enforcement challenges for fundraisers and after‑school events; Superintendent Anne Uberti said standards are stricter during the school day and “there is more flexibility after school” and that the district is working to improve food quality and student engagement.
The subcommittee also approved proposed language to Policy 1200 (Use of School Facilities) that would allow the district to waive rental and associated fees for town emergency preparedness, training or response activities. Superintendent Uberti proposed the waiver and the committee agreed to include the language for the full Board’s consideration.
A newly drafted regulation, 3521R (Use of Private Transportation), clarifies that staff should not transport students in personal vehicles, reflecting legal guidance and liability concerns; the regulation is described as protecting staff and providing clear guidance for declining requests.
On suicide prevention, the committee reviewed Regulation 5151.5R, which incorporates the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS) as required by the state and continues the use of SOS (Signs of Suicide) as a universal screener. The draft removes outdated resource links; committee member Sarah Connell agreed to remove a listed outdated resource, the Resiliency Center.
Superintendent Policy 2131 was revised to clarify the distinction between Board responsibilities and superintendent responsibilities; the subcommittee agreed the revised policy will replace the existing version.
Don Ramsey moved and Doria Linnetz seconded motions to forward Policy 1200, Policy 2131 and Policy 5155 to the full Board and to forward regulations 3541R and 5151.5R as items of information. The motions passed unanimously.
The full Board will consider these items at a future meeting; the subcommittee record notes that several items were forwarded for formal action while regulations were forwarded for informational purposes only.
