Policy EBC
EMERGENCY SCHOOL CANCELLATION
It is the general policy of the Marlborough School Committee that schools shall be kept open in accordance with the established school calendar. The Superintendent shall, however, have the authority to close any school or schools whenever conditions in their judgment are such as to endanger the health and/or welfare of the pupils.
In case of inclement weather, the Superintendent shall exercise their best judgment as to whether or not the schools shall be kept open. The Superintendent will consider a delayed opening as a response to inclement weather or other emergency conditions. A decision to open with a delay will be communicated to the public and to the staff in the same manner as a no-school announcement.
Legal Reference:
Approved: Prior to 1/1/90
Revised: 12/11/01
Approved: 5/26/20
Approved: 6/25/24
Emergency COVID-19 Supplement
The School Committee takes note of the COVID-19 emergency; resulting disruption of the traditional school day and year; growing concerns of students, families and the community; and the growing number of issues that will affect public education.
Therefore, the school committee establishes an emergency, interim policy to:
· promote public safety and safety of students and faculty,
· maintain to the extent possible the high and efficient level of educational services,
· ensure support for students in general and in particular for those at highest risk educationally as well as those at social and economic risk, and
· comply with the emergency orders of the governor and adhere to the extent possible, to the guidance of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and other agencies of state and federal government and expedite the safest strategy for returning students to school.
The superintendent will designate the appropriate staff members to oversee the safe administration of COVID-related policies during the period of the pandemic emergency and shall make such recommendations to the school committee as needed.
Should in person learning need to be suspended during the period of the emergency, the Superintendent will collaborate with the Board of Health to suspend in person learning for a period of two weeks. After a decision to close an entire building or district for two weeks, the School Committee will have an emergency board meeting to discuss the suspension of in person learning; review the decision, and provide direction to the Superintendent as needed for next steps. If in person learning is suspended during the period of the emergency, the building/district will continue to provide remote learning; and the expectation is that students will access school through the remote learning format provided by the district.
The superintendent, with the advice and consent of the school committee, may suspend or modify individual district policies to address the COVID-19 emergency as declared by the governor. Such suspension of policy shall expire upon the end of the emergency as declared by the governor or department of public health.
Approved 9.22.20
SOURCE: MASC