Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Supervision Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves sending expanded supervision policy to full board after debate over duty-of-care language
Summary
The policy committee voted to forward a new supervision and student safety policy to the full board, discussing the scope of staff duty to ensure student safety during school hours and at school events and raising questions about legal exposure and bathroom privacy.
The Nashua School District policy committee voted to send a new supervision policy (JLIA) to the full board after examining language that expands what counts as school property and affirms that "all school staff have a duty to help ensure the safety of students even when such staff are not specifically scheduled for supervisory duty."
Heather Raymond explained the rule is intended to ensure adults respond to incidents they encounter when moving about campus, such as hallway or restroom disturbances, while preserving student privacy. "All staff have a duty to help ensure the safety of students even when such staff are not specifically scheduled for supervisory duty," she said during discussion. Committee members asked whether that duty applies at school-sponsored events, on buses and during rented non-school activities; staff said school-sponsored events are covered but private rentals are not.
Members also raised legal questions about what constitutes a "reasonable duty of care" and whether the language could increase district liability in extreme events; the committee agreed the phrase is widely used in litigation contexts and that the policy aims to set sensible supervisory expectations rather than expand parental duties. The committee moved to send JLIA to the full board with a note to add the legal citation; the motion passed by voice vote.
The supervision policy will be considered by the full board; staff will review legal definitions and prepare final legal references for insertion before the full-board packet is published.
