Policy Subcommittee accepts multiple MASC-recommended updates and tables remaining review

The Hoosac Valley Regional Policy Subcommittee met Jan. 15, 2026, at the Superintendent’s Office Conference Room in Adams and accepted multiple MASC-recommended revisions to the district policy manual while tabling further review of additional items until the next meeting.

The subcommittee accepted a set of edits to Section C (General School Administration) after discussion with a MASC consultant. Changes adopted included updates to CA (Administration Goals) and CB (Regional School Superintendent) to modernize pronouns and legal references; replacement of the Superintendent’s Contract language (CBD) with the updated MASC model; adoption of the MASC version of CBI (Evaluation of Superintendent) while retaining point two from the district’s prior policy; adoption of updated staff relations language (CCB); and changes to CH (Policy Implementation) replacing the term “regulations” with “procedures.” The committee also adopted MASC’s CHA/CHC language for the development and dissemination of procedures and appended the first paragraph from the original CHC to the bottom of the updated CHC. The subcommittee adopted CHCA (Approval of Handbooks and Directives) per MASC guidance and removed CHCA-E as not consistent with law. The standing item CL (Annual Reports) was removed as redundant and inconsistent with practice; CM (School District Annual Report) was adopted per MASC guidance.

On fiscal policies (Section D), the subcommittee accepted several recommended updates including DA (Fiscal Management Goals), DB (Annual Budget) and related procedures such as DB-R (Budget Apportionment of Expenses), DBC (Budget Deadlines and Schedules), DBD (Budget Planning) and DBJ (Regional District Transfer Authority). The subcommittee also added a DEC policy addressing the federal “supplement not supplant” requirement for federal funds that was not previously present in the manual. The group removed a local entry on revenues from school-owned real estate after noting those matters are governed by the Massachusetts General Laws (MGL).

Committee members agreed to table the remainder of Section D and to re-review Sections A and B at the next meeting to ensure no outstanding questions remain from prior review. The committee reached consensus that revisions should be presented in their entirety to the full school committee to avoid confusion caused by piecemeal changes and to highlight that many updates reflect changes in law and practice rather than new local policy directions.

Procedural notes: attendance was recorded as Erin Milne and John Duval; Adam Emerson was noted as arriving at 4:45 p.m. The subcommittee approved the Policy Subcommittee minutes from Aug. 25, 2025, on a motion by Erin Milne with a second by John Duval; the motion carried unanimously. The subcommittee scheduled its next meeting for Jan. 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Conference Room at 49 Park Street. The meeting adjourned at 6:35 p.m.; minutes are signed and submitted by Aaron Dean, Superintendent.