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Policy committee recommends repealing surrogate-parent policy, citing duplication with existing protections
Summary
The committee recommended repealing policy 5145.71 (surrogate parent program) after legal counsel advised the subject is already covered under other district policies (5142.1 and 5118.1); staff said surrogate-parent procedures for students with special needs remain operative through existing practices and DCF collaboration.
Christine presented a recommendation from the district’s policy audit to repeal RPS policy 5145.71, the surrogate parent program, saying legal counsel Shipman and Goodwin recommended repeal because the subject matter is covered elsewhere in the policy book.
"Shipman and Goodwin recommended repeal," Christine said, and noted the protections are reflected in other district policies, including relations with non-custodial parents (5142.1) and homeless children and youth (5118.1).
Liz (Elizabeth Hanoway), a member of the superintendent’s team, clarified the operational purpose of the policy: "This is solely for the sake of students who require special education services and is already part of our required practice when we have to collaborate with DCF." The administration indicated the repeal is intended to remove duplication, not to reduce protections for students.
Nut graf: The committee framed the recommended repeal as part of a broader effort to streamline the policy manual and remove redundancies, while keeping substantive safeguards for students in place via other policies and standard operating procedures.
The committee agreed to forward the repeal recommendation to the full board for a first reading.
Next steps: The repeal will be presented to the full Ridgefield Board of Education for a first read; administration will ensure operational practices for special-education cases remain documented and accessible.
