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Barre Town Supervisory District Policy Manual
TITLE: Policy Adoption & Maintenance      CODE: BGB

It is the intent of the school board to outline direction and goals for the successful consistent and efficient operation of the Barre Town Middle & Elementary School through the adoption of policies.

It is the duty of the school board to formulate policies for the management and conduct of the public schools, consistent with the Vermont and federal statutes, and the regulations of the State Board of Education, for the best interests of the town's public school pupils. Final adoption of policy will be in accordance with Vermont State Statute Title 16, Section 563 (1).

STANDARD AND PROCEDURE

The superintendent of schools has the authority and the responsibility to carry out board policies or delegate such responsibilities. Further, he/she will have the power to act in such instances where action must be taken and where neither policy nor standards or procedures exist in emergency situations. He/she will inform the school board of such action.

Proposals for new policies or changes to existing policies may be initiated in writing to the superintendent’s office by any pupil or employee of the school system of Barre Town or any citizen of Barre Town. The proposal will be referred to the school board chair. Within 30 days the school board chair will decide if he/she would prefer to send the issue(s) to the board on the board meeting agenda or to the policy committee who may present a proposed policy to the school board for approval. Following school board final approval the policy will appear on the Barre Town School website.

The school board chair will review any policy rules or regulations on written request of any parent or citizen of the Town of Barre. Any policy revision, in order to be considered, must be delivered to the superintendent’s office and will appear on a future agenda as determined by the policy chairperson.

The policy committee and school board will accept public comment and administrative guidance as it considers proposals for policy development or revision.

Policy consideration may include but is not limited to:

  1. The specific need for the policy.
  2. The fiscal consequences of the proposed policy.
  3. The effect of proposed policy on administrators, students, teaching staff and the community.
  4. Samples of similar policies of other Boards.
  5. Applicable provisions of state and federal law.
  6. The anticipated costs and benefits of implementing, enforcing and evaluating the proposed policy.

The school board will take action in the following manner:

  1. First Reading - The proposed policy is presented to the school board by the policy committee, in writing, for review and discussion.
  2. The proposed policy will be warned at least ten days prior to 2nd and final reading.
  3. Second Reading - The proposed policy is brought before the school board for a second review and discussion. The school board may adopt the policy at this meeting.

The administration will periodically and systematically bring to the attention of their faculties and staff the contents of the policy manual. The procedures references in the policies will be kept on the website and in paper copy in the principal and superintendent’s offices. All procedures should be labeled with the relevant policy code followed by “-P” and all forms should be labeled with the relevant policy code followed by a “-F”.

Policy Review
All policies will be reviewed within a 5 year period and, if necessary or appropriate, revised or repealed in response to changing legislation or other altered circumstances. If the policy requires no edits it shall still be read by all school board members and marked with a revisited date.

Dissemination
When policies are adopted, they will be placed on the Barre Town Middle & Elementary School website. The superintendent’s office is responsible for submitting final policies to the webmaster and hard copies to the policy committee chairperson, each of the principal’s offices and the supervisory union hard copy of the policies.
A hard copy of the district policy manual will be available during the normal working day in the principals’ offices and the superintendent’s office. The student handbook will include excerpts of or references to policies related to student rights and responsibilities. The staff handbook will include excerpts of or references to policies related to staff rights and responsibilities.

Initial Adoption: 11/7/83
1st Reading: May 17, 2006
2nd/Final Reading/Revised: 6/7/2006
Legal Reference(s): 16 V.S.A. §563 (1) (Powers of School Boards)
Cross-References: VSBA Vermont Model Policy Manual