The Dedham School Committee Policy Subcommittee is currently reviewing and will vote on a revised policy after three public readings of the proposed revisions. 

Current School Committee policies can be found on the District Handbook and Policies page, and also posted online with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.

Proposed Revised Policy - Presented 05/06/25

Adoption of new policies or changing existing policies is solely the responsibility of the Dedham School Committee.  Policies will be adopted and/or amended only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the School Committee when such action has been scheduled on the agenda of a regular or special meeting. Any member of the Committee or the Superintendent may propose a new policy or an amendment to existing policy through the Policy Subcommittee or the Chair.

To permit time for study of all policies or amendments to policies and to provide an opportunity for interested parties to react, proposed policies or amendments will be presented as an agenda item to the Committee in the following sequence:

Proposed policies will be included on Committee agenda and referred to the Policy Subcommittee for review and recommendation at its next meeting OR originated in a meeting of the Policy Subcommittee with a voted recommendation to the Committee.

First Reading - Full reading of the policy, discussion, amendments, potential instructions for redrafting to the Policy Subcommittee.

Second Reading - Full reading of the policy, discussion, amendments, potential instructions for redrafting to the Policy Subcommittee, potential vote.

Third Reading - Full reading of the policy, discussion, amendments, vote.

The full reading of the policy may be waived by unanimous consent.

Third Reading of the policy may be waived by unanimous consent to allow a vote to be taken after second reading if the meeting agenda notes a potential vote in compliance with the Open Meeting Law.

1.  Information item - distribution with agenda

2.  Discussion item at two meetings - reading of the proposed policy or policies; response from Superintendent; report from any advisory committee assigned responsibility in the area; Committee discussion and directions for any redrafting

3.  Action item at a third meeting - discussion, adoption or rejection.

Amendments to the policy at the action stage will not require repetition of the sequence, unless the Committee so directs.

The School Committee may dispense with the above sequence to meet emergency conditions under a 2/3 vote.

Policies will be effective upon the date set by the School Committee.  This date will ensure that affected persons have an opportunity to become familiar with the requirements of the new policy prior to its implementation. The effective date and the most recent date of action shall be listed at the end of all newly adopted or revised policies.