JAY – The School Committee accepted the resignation of member Amy Pineau on Thursday.

The board also voted to accept first readings of two policies: injurious hazing and student classroom assignment, but not without discussion.

Pineau’s resignation is effective Friday, Oct. 8. She has moved to the Augusta area, she said.

Superintendent Robert Wall said ads would be placed in newspapers looking for candidates interested in filling the six months remaining in Pineau’s three-year term.

Applications will be reviewed and the School Committee will appoint a new member.

Though School Committee members voted 4-1 to approve the first reading of a student classroom assignment for grades kindergarten through eight, board members suggested some changes before the new policy is officially adopted.

Mary Redmond Luce voted against approval.

The proposed policy states that the final decisions regarding class placement are the authority of the building principal or designee. It also states that the teachers provide significant input for placement for the next school year and that information from parents is important to the placement decision of their child and to ascertain their learning styles.

Parent Bob Deane asked at what point in the policy would a parent have input in where their child is placed.

“After you made a decision or before a decision is made?” Deane asked.

He said he would like to see parents given an opportunity to have input prior to a decision being made.

“I’m very concerned there is no appeals process,” Chairman Clint Brooks said.

Brooks suggested one be added.

Deane agreed.

Wall said the professional staff is making recommendations for student placement.

“These people have taught the child,” Wall said.

Member Gene Uhuad said it’s not the decision of just the principal and the parent, input would also come from the teachers.

Pineau agreed with Brooks and Uhuad about adding an appeals process but cautioned about having too many students in one group if parents follow the process through.

Luce said she would like to see wording that would give parents a right to have input on placement of their child prior to a decision being made.

To her, she said, an appeals process means something negative.

“It means something is wrong,” she said. “I think it’s unfortunate that we’re trying to stifle the parent. We’re trying to do crowd control not quality control.”

Wall said it’s important that there is a policy to follow.

Both Uhuad and Luce agreed to meet with the superintendent to work on some changes to the policy.