The Winthrop School Committee met on Tuesday, where it approved a policy overhaul.
Policy Review
The committee will be working with the Mass. Assoc. of School Committees to realize an extensive review and update of all its policies, around 500 of them.
“This is a liability and compliance issue,” explained Supt. Lisa Howard. “We have policies that are outdated and we are probably lacking policies that we should have.â€
“This is a long overdue look at what we have in place to determine what revisions are needed,†she continued. “It will also make the policies more accessible to students, parents, and the community.”
The policy update process comes with an initial investment is $10,500 and could take up to three years.
Results of the review will then be available online for community members to see.
Other News
The district is starting a new system for monitoring progress in social emotional learning for students in grades K to 12. The system will highlight areas in need of improvement. Teachers will assess students throughout the year, and students in grade three and above will assess themselves as well. The system also provides age-relevant class lessons meant to enhance social and emotional intelligence.
There is a total of 1,958 students, including 15 international students, enrolled in Winthrop Public Schools this year: 494 at the Gorman Fort Banks, 426 at Cummings Elementary School, 426 at the Middle School, and 597 at the High School.
MBTA student bus passes are available to students at a discounted rate.