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Holyoke School Committee approves updated employee, family and student handbooks and tightens nondiscrimination language
Summary
The Holyoke School Committee on July 13 approved amended employee, family and student handbooks, adopted a clearer nondiscrimination statement across handbook pages, removed a placeholder AI‑guidance link, and referred several policies (including FMLA language) for additional legal or subcommittee review.
The Holyoke School Committee voted July 13 to approve updated employee, family and student handbooks — adopting an amended nondiscrimination statement and removing a placeholder AI‑guidance link while referring several policy questions for further review.
Superintendent Ms. Glasheen briefed the committee on summer facility work and said the district will conduct school‑readiness walkthroughs Aug. 17 and 19. On the handbooks, the committee debated and fixed several inconsistencies before voting. “We are going to put down race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, homelessness, religion, age, active military slash veteran status, or any category protected under state and or federal law,” Miss Lefebvre read aloud while proposing the amendment to standardize nondiscrimination language across handbook pages; the amendment passed and was applied to the employee handbook and the nondiscrimination sections of the student/family handbooks.
Committee members also flagged a legal citation error: the handbook referenced FOIA (a federal law) for recording and public‑records guidance, but members said the district should cite Massachusetts public‑records law (Mass. Gen. Laws, ch. 66) and asked counsel to confirm correct language. Ms. Lebold asked counsel review the citation to ensure legal accuracy before publication.
On leave policy, members identified a discrepancy over the FMLA 12‑month measurement period. The handbook text described a “rolling calendar year,” while current district policy defines the 12‑month period as the school system’s fiscal year; the committee amended the handbook to match district policy so the handbook’s FMLA calculation aligns with governing policy.
The student and family handbooks contained a placeholder reference to district AI guidance (“link forthcoming”). Members voted to remove the placeholder sentence and either incorporate guidance when finalized or link it after the committee has reviewed the AI work‑group recommendations. Mr. Michaelson moved to strike the sentence referencing the missing link; the motion passed by voice vote.
The board approved the employee handbook “as amended” and then approved the family and student handbooks with the agreed amendments. The approvals were voice votes; the committee did not provide a roll‑call tally in the meeting record.
Other policy actions at the meeting included final readings and approvals for nondiscrimination (AC), physical restraint (JKAA) aligned with DESE requirements, and bullying (JICFB). Several policies — notably family and medical leave revisions and a few items where subcommittee vetting was incomplete — were referred back to the policy subcommittee for further review and legal consultation.
The superintendent and staff will produce a clean published version of the handbooks (with translations into Spanish, Haitian Creole and other district languages) and follow up with committee members about any further updates. The committee noted handbooks will be distributed to families before school starts, with ongoing amendments communicated to staff and families as necessary.
