JAY – School Committee members are scheduled Thursday to consider adopting updated policies to deal with bomb threats, student hazing and disposal of school property.

The agenda for the 6 p.m. meeting at the Middle School library, reflects a change under the Comments from the Public section.

“Citizens may comment on any general topics related to the school system during this portion of the agenda. It is requested that comments related to specific personnel be channeled privately to the appropriate administrator. Comments related to specific agenda items may be held until the appropriate time. Please be succinct and speak once for less than three minutes. Other limitations may be necessary.

The School Committee may respond to your concerns at a later date by answering through the administration or by placing the item on a future agenda,” the new guideline states.

Superintendent Robert Wall said the addition to the agenda is to set the guidelines for the comment period during the School Committee’s meeting.

The updated policies the board is to consider also reflect more in-depth explanation, including philosophy, policy, delegation of authority, exceptions to the policy and legal references.

Wall said the upgrade of the policies is to make them more friendly and clearer to users.

A change in the school properties deposition policy states that other municipal departments are to be informed in writing of school property declared surplus and are to have first option on purchase.

The existing policy requires the town be notified in writing of surplus property worth more than $500.

The existing bomb threat policy page has six paragraphs and increases to more than 20 paragraphs in the proposed policy.

It outlines philosophy, amplifying instructions and guidelines, reporting of bomb and/or toxic or hazardous material threat, student disciplinary consequences, aiding other students in making bomb and/or toxic hazardous materials threats, staff disciplinary consequences, civil liability, lost instructional time, notification through student handbook and delegation of authority.

There are no exceptions to the proposed policy, it states, and it also defines a bomb, look-alike bomb, threat and school premises.

Under the paragraph for lost instructional time as a result of a bomb threat, it states that the time, will be rescheduled at the earliest appropriate or practical opportunity, as determined by the superintendent or School Committee.

In the proposed student hazing policy, it defines harassing behavior, acts of intimidation, and injurious hazing.

The state statute defines injurious hazing as “any action or situation, including harassing behavior, that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of any school personnel or a student enrolled in a public school.”

dperry@sunjournal.com

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