Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Section 37H of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1988 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following two paragraphs:-

In each school building containing the grades nine to twelve, inclusive, the rules pertaining to the conduct of students shall be reviewed annually by a handbook review committee consisting of the school principal who shall serve as chair; and for the first two thousand five hundred students or part thereof, three teachers, elected annually by the teachers of the building, three parents of children attending said school building chosen in elections held annually by the local parent-teacher organization under the direction of the principal of such school or, if none exists chosen by the school committee; one person appointed by the school committee; and three secondary students attending said school building elected annually by the students of said grades. For schools with more than two thousand five hundred students said committee shall consist of the above-mentioned members and one teacher, one parent, and one secondary student representative for each additional five hundred students selected in the manner above to serve on the committee. The handbook review committee may be an already existing committee within the school building that meets the representation requirements.

The handbook review committee shall conduct its annual review each spring for the handbook that will be in use starting in September of the following school year. Said committee may also be convened at other times during the course of the school year in order to consider any handbook policy changes. The annual handbook review shall cover all areas of student conduct, including but not limited to those outlined in this section. The handbook review committee shall submit the results of its review, including any recommended additions or revisions to the code of student conduct, to the school committee for action.