School Board Governance and Operations
School Committee Procedures
Meetings
All meetings of the school committee shall be held in compliance with the town charter and the open meeting laws as defined by the Massachusetts General Laws.
The school committee shall conduct regular business meetings as deemed necessary by the committee.
Agendas
Any item deemed necessary by the superintendent and/or the committee chair shall be posted to the meeting agenda. Any two members of the school committee may sponsor an agenda item with notification to the superintendent for inclusion.
The superintendent shall distribute meeting agendas to the school committee members at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting.
All agenda items shall be posted chronologically in the order of discussion. The time the item is scheduled for discussion shall be posted with the agenda item.
Officers
One committee member shall serve as committee chair and preside at committee meetings. The signature of the chair shall accomplish all endorsements of the school committee after the committee has voted to accept the motion. The chair shall accomplish other ceremonial acts as determined by the committee in consult with the superintendent.
One member shall serve as committee vice chair, and shall act on behalf of the committee chair at any time the chair is unable to do so.
One member shall serve as committee secretary, and shall be responsible for all official correspondence of the school committee. The secretary shall ensure that minutes of all meetings are duly recorded in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws and filed with the town clerk. In the absence of both the chair and the vice chair, the committee secretary shall conduct the meeting.
At the first regular business meeting after the annual town election, the superintendent shall act as committee chair. The first item on the agenda at said meeting shall be the election of committee officers. Nominations and seconds will be taken for each officer position, followed by a vote of the committee. Officers shall be elected by a simple majority of the school committee. The superintendent shall then turn conduct of the remainder of the meeting over to the newly elected chair. In the event that no member is elected to the position of committee chair, the incumbent committee chair shall continue in that capacity until such time a member is elected to the position.
Meeting Conduct
A simple majority of the school committee must be present in order to conduct a business meeting. A simple majority of the school committee shall be required to support any motion during a vote, unless otherwise required by law.
The meeting shall be called to order by the chair. The chair shall then address each item on the agenda. For the purpose of expediency, items on the agenda may be addressed out of their published order, provided there is no objection by a majority of the committee members present. Persons speaking during the conduct of the meeting shall do so only after recognition by the chair.
At the conclusion of the agenda, and after any concerns of committee members have been voiced, the chair shall adjourn the meeting by asking the committee for a motion to adjourn. The chair shall call for a simple majority vote to adjourn and, after receiving such a vote, declare the meeting adjourned.
New Member Orientation
As soon as possible after a new member is elected or appointed to the school committee, and prior to the business meeting of the school committee after said election or appointment takes place, the newly elected or appointed member of the committee shall be sworn in by the town clerk.
The orientation of all new members shall include that they receive a copy of school committee policies, a copy of the student handbook, and a copy of the agreement between the Sutton School Committee and the Sutton Teachers Association. The new member shall have the opportunity to meet with the superintendent, the assistant superintendent to be briefed on current school system curriculum, technology, and initiatives.
The new member shall meet with the building principals, assistant principals, and the administrator for special education for any and all information deemed pertinent.
Policy Development
The Sutton School Committee shall establish policies for the Sutton School System. A policy subcommittee shall be maintained to develop and review policy for presentation to the full school committee.
Policies developed and implemented must demonstrate that their scope remain within the school system mission, that effective implementation shall cause movement toward the school system vision, and that actions resulting from their implementation shall reflect the beliefs and values contained within the school system philosophy.
Goals
The Sutton School Committee, by motion, shall establish goals for the operation of the Sutton School System.
The superintendent of schools shall be held directly responsible for the successful implementation of all goals.
Goals adopted under this section shall be provided to the school councils for integration into school improvement plans.
Strategic Plan
The Sutton School Committee shall delegate the establishment and maintenance of a strategic plan for the Sutton School System to the superintendent.
The strategic plan shall be reviewed at the committee’s first regular business meeting of the school year. The strategic plan shall reflect, to the satisfaction of the committee, the goals and policies as set forth by the school committee, Department of Education, and the Massachusetts General Laws.
Adopted November 1996
POLICY
The school committee determines policy and guidelines for administrative decisions. The purpose of this is to establish committee policies that guide administrative courses of action. This manual shall serve as a guide to administrators and staff members in the daily operation of the schools. It also provides community members and students with the framework under which the Sutton School District functions.
The administration is responsible for establishing procedures for implementing policies. All procedures pertaining to students or faculty will be outlined in the respective handbooks. All other policies are documented in this manual.
Federal laws and regulations, the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Education Reform Act, regulations of the state department of education, and the school committee by‑laws are the legal conditions under which the school committee and the Sutton School District operate.
POLICY DEVELOPMENT
It is the intent of the Sutton School Committee to develop and maintain policies that comply with all relevant laws and regulations, provide clear and appropriate guidance for administrative decisions, and support the mission of the district.
The committee may establish a formal policy subcommittee, use an ad hoc group, or designate an individual member or administrator to draft new or to revise policy language. In developing or revising policy, the committee shall seek input from interested parties including administrators, school councils, faculty, parents, and the general public.
To provide a uniform process of adoption, enable public notice and participation, and allow for full deliberation of proposed policies, the committee will do the following over the course of three or more public meetings. A copy of the current draft policy shall be provided to each committee member far enough in advance of each meeting to allow time for necessary study.
“First Reading.” The draft policy will be reviewed by the full committee, with participation and input from administrators, school council representatives, and other individuals within or without the system who may be affected by the policy. The draft policy may be read aloud; time permitting, or copies of the draft policy may be made available to participants. Following this, the draft policy may be revised to incorporate appropriate changes.
“Second Reading.” The committee will discuss the draft policy as revised with input from other interested individuals. In particular, public comment will be received with regard to the draft policy. The draft policy may be read aloud; time permitting, or copies of the revised draft may be made available at the meeting. If the draft policy is lengthy or complex, the text may also be made available prior to the meeting on the schools’ web site or by some other appropriate means. Following this, the draft policy may be further revised to incorporate agreed changes.
“Adoption.” The school committee will vote whether or not to adopt the draft as policy. The superintendent shall develop and execute appropriate procedures to implement all policies adopted by the committee. Each printed policy shall indicate the date of adoption and/or most recent revision.
In any circumstance where it is deemed necessary or desirable for the good of the community, the committee may by affirmative vote waive one or both of the “readings” prior to voting on adoption of a policy.
A complete set of current policies shall be maintained in the office of the superintendent and copies thereof shall be available to all administrators. In addition, any citizen of Sutton or school district employee may request a copy of any current or draft policy.
The school committee shall from time to time review each policy and, if appropriate, revise or revoke that policy.
Adopted January 19, 2004