Hopkinton Public Schools

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School Committee Welcome
The School Committee web page has been developed to provide students, parents, teachers and staff with information about the activities of the Hopkinton School Committee and to solicit public opinion and suggestions on issues affecting the Hopkinton school system. The School Committee web page provides links to the Strategic Plan and other strategic documents approved by the Committee, to policies adopted by the Committee, to agendas for all School Committee meetings scheduled for the rest of the school year, to minutes of meetings that have been approved by the Committee, and to other items that might be of interest to the public. Function of the School Committee The Hopkinton School Committee is composed of five volunteers from the community, elected to three-year overlapping terms during the May town election. The role of the School Committee is spelled out in The Education Reform Act of 1993, as follows: "The school committee in each city and town and each regional school district shall have the power to select and to terminate the Superintendent, shall review and approve budgets for public education in the district, and shall establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district consistent with the requirements of law and state-wide goals and standards established by the [Massachusetts] Board of Education." The School Committee works in conjunction with the Superintendent of Schools, the principals of each school, and the school councils. The Superintendent, who is appointed by the School Committee, oversees all of the daily operations of the schools and provides the staff work necessary for the Committee to act on policy matters and to evaluate, in a general sense, the overall functioning of the schools. The principals, who are hired by the Superintendent, are responsible for the management of each school. The principal also co-chairs his or her school council, which develops educational goals for the school, assesses the needs of the school in light of those goals and formulates a School Improvement Plan that is presented to the School Committee at the end of each school year. Opportunity for Public Comment Decisions by the School Committee affect the education of our children and the well-being of our community. The Committee can better represent its constituents when members of the community take the time to observe the Committee in action, to express opinions and to ask questions. The School Committee wants to hear the public's concerns and encourages public input in a number of ways. Each member's email address and telephone number is posted on our web page. Members of the public can also send mail to the Committee or to any member addressed to: Hopkinton School Committee, Hopkinton Public Schools, 89 Hayden Rowe Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748. The School Committee also welcomes comments from the public at each of its Regular Meetings. In order to ensure that the Committee is able to complete its scheduled business in a timely fashion, the Committee has established guidelines for such comments. A period of up to fifteen minutes is set aside for public comment near the beginning of each Regular Meeting. Besides the comment period, audience members will be given the opportunity to speak on individual agenda items following discussion by the School Committee members. Each speaker must address his or her remarks to the Chairman, and should be as brief as possible. In any event, comments are limited to three minutes per individual. The School Committee will not generally respond to questions raised during any public comments; however, when appropriate, the Chairman may direct a response to the presenter or ask the Superintendent to respond either at the meeting or at a later time. Comments relating to Executive Session topics or individual students or staff members will not be allowed at the School Committee meetings. The Committee, however, welcomes any such comments in writing delivered to it at the meeting or sent by regular mail or email. School Committee Meetings The School Committee's Regular Meetings are generally held on the first and third Thursday of the month (except in July and August) at 7:30 PM in the Middle School Library. Meeting dates are listed on this web site and are posted at Town Hall. Regular meetings are usually televised live by local cable, and can be seen on Channel 8. In addition to Regular Meetings, the Committee periodically holds working sessions and other special meetings. Those additional meetings are listed on this web site and posted at Town Hall and are open to the public, but usually are not televised. The School Committee is generally joined at its Regular Meetings by the Superintendent of Schools, the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, the Director of Finance and a student representative from the High School Advisory Council. All meetings are held in public, except for sessions concerning matters that may be covered in Executive Session under state law. Those topics include strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation, certain personnel matters, and security matters. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 39 Section 23B provides a complete list of allowable topics for an Executive Session. The Meeting Agenda The usual order of business at regular business meetings is as follows: Pledge of Allegiance Presentations and Recognition Public Comments Reports to the School Committee New Business Old Business Items by Consensus Executive Session (if needed) Adjournment Copies of the agenda are generally posted on the web site at least three days prior to each Regular Meeting and are available to the public at every meeting.

School Committee Welcome

The School Committee web page has been developed to provide students, parents, teachers and staff with information about the activities of the Hopkinton School Committee and to solicit public opinion and suggestions on issues affecting the Hopkinton school system. The School Committee web page provides links to the Strategic Plan and other strategic documents approved by the Committee, to policies adopted by the Committee, to agendas for all School Committee meetings scheduled for the rest of the school year, to minutes of meetings that have been approved by the Committee, and to other items that might be of interest to the public.

Function of the School Committee

The Hopkinton School Committee is composed of five volunteers from the community, elected to three-year overlapping terms during the May town election. The role of the School Committee is spelled out in The Education Reform Act of 1993, as follows:

"The school committee in each city and town and each regional school district shall have the power to select and to terminate the Superintendent, shall review and approve budgets for public education in the district, and shall establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district consistent with the requirements of law and state-wide goals and standards established by the [Massachusetts] Board of Education."

The School Committee works in conjunction with the Superintendent of Schools, the principals of each school, and the school councils. The Superintendent, who is appointed by the School Committee, oversees all of the daily operations of the schools and provides the staff work necessary for the Committee to act on policy matters and to evaluate, in a general sense, the overall functioning of the schools. The principals, who are hired by the Superintendent, are responsible for the management of each school. The principal also co-chairs his or her school council, which develops educational goals for the school, assesses the needs of the school in light of those goals and formulates a School Improvement Plan that is presented to the School Committee at the end of each school year.

Opportunity for Public Comment

Decisions by the School Committee affect the education of our children and the well-being of our community. The Committee can better represent its constituents when members of the community take the time to observe the Committee in action, to express opinions and to ask questions.

The School Committee wants to hear the public's concerns and encourages public input in a number of ways. Each member's email address and telephone number is posted on our web page. Members of the public can also send mail to the Committee or to any member addressed to: Hopkinton School Committee, Hopkinton Public Schools, 89 Hayden Rowe Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748.

The School Committee also welcomes comments from the public at each of its Regular Meetings. In order to ensure that the Committee is able to complete its scheduled business in a timely fashion, the Committee has established guidelines for such comments. A period of up to fifteen minutes is set aside for public comment near the beginning of each Regular Meeting. Besides the comment period, audience members will be given the opportunity to speak on individual agenda items following discussion by the School Committee members. Each speaker must address his or her remarks to the Chairman, and should be as brief as possible. In any event, comments are limited to three minutes per individual. The School Committee will not generally respond to questions raised during any public comments; however, when appropriate, the Chairman may direct a response to the presenter or ask the Superintendent to respond either at the meeting or at a later time.

Comments relating to Executive Session topics or individual students or staff members will not be allowed at the School Committee meetings. The Committee, however, welcomes any such comments in writing delivered to it at the meeting or sent by regular mail or email.

School Committee Meetings

The School Committee's Regular Meetings are generally held on the first and third Thursday of the month (except in July and August) at 7:30 PM in the Middle School Library. Meeting dates are listed on this web site and are posted at Town Hall. Regular meetings are usually televised live by local cable, and can be seen on Channel 8. In addition to Regular Meetings, the Committee periodically holds working sessions and other special meetings. Those additional meetings are listed on this web site and posted at Town Hall and are open to the public, but usually are not televised.

The School Committee is generally joined at its Regular Meetings by the Superintendent of Schools, the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, the Director of Finance and a student representative from the High School Advisory Council.

All meetings are held in public, except for sessions concerning matters that may be covered in Executive Session under state law. Those topics include strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation, certain personnel matters, and security matters. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 39 Section 23B provides a complete list of allowable topics for an Executive Session.

The Meeting Agenda

The usual order of business at regular business meetings is as follows:

Pledge of Allegiance
Presentations and Recognition
Public Comments
Reports to the School Committee
New Business
Old Business
Items by Consensus
Executive Session (if needed)
Adjournment

Copies of the agenda are generally posted on the web site at least three days prior to each Regular Meeting and are available to the public at every meeting.