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Resident urges clarity on honors-class access and asks about flexibility on DESE discipline mandates
Summary
A Cheshire resident told the Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee that honors sections sometimes include non-honors students and asked whether the district can push back on DESE discipline mandates; the superintendent said districts are bound by DESE but have some operational leeway.
During public comment on Dec. 9, Cheshire resident Lynn Melchori raised concerns about honors-class enrollment and state discipline mandates.
Melchori said she noticed while subbing that honors-class sections sometimes include students who are not designated honors students and asked the committee to investigate that practice. She said she is most concerned about "the student who wants to learn." She also asked whether the district can challenge or seek flexibility from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on discipline regulations.
Superintendent Aaron Dean replied that blended honors sections are driven by numbers and logistics and that many districts use blended approaches for operational reasons. On DESE mandates, Dean said the district is bound to state regulations and is audited on compliance, though there is some leeway in operational implementation. Committee member Mike Henault suggested that district leaders work with legislators and noted that organizations such as MASC and MASS advocate for more flexibility; he cautioned that legislative change is a multiyear process.
Melchori said she would bring future concerns to the committee ahead of time so they can be added to an agenda for fuller discussion.
