Hingham School Committee approves homeschooling clarifications and updated restraint policy

The Hingham School Committee voted unanimously on July 13 to approve three policy actions: clarifications to the homeschooling policy to address access to activities and course enrollment, removal of an outdated homeschooling procedure from the online policy document, and a rewrite of the district's timeout, seclusion and physical restraint policy to align with new Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requirements.

"The first one is in regards to homeschooling," Ali Anderson, chair of the policy subcommittee, said during the second read, describing clarifications meant to ensure homeschool students can access activities and enroll in courses while addressing space and liability concerns. Anderson said legal counsel added language referencing Massachusetts general law and special-education rights.

On the time-out and physical restraint policy, Anderson told the committee the district must have updated language in place by Aug. 17 to match DESE regulations. The policy was described as a rewrite of the original with new state-required language and an FAQ packet included for committee review.

The committee approved each policy following motions and voice votes; the chair announced that all three passed unanimously. Committee members thanked staff and legal counsel for the revisions and noted administrators will continue to review implementation details.

The district said it will provide the updated policy language and supporting materials to school teams to guide practice and ensure compliance with the state timeline.