Policy and Amendment Committee
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 2:00pm
in the WSESU Central Office, 53 Green Street, Brattleboro
and remotely via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84597923708?pwd=qd3vLmIovV5KMaPriLa6gXTOCjIagC.1
Meeting ID: 845 9792 3708 Passcode: 4B9SWA
One tap mobile
+16469313860,,84597923708#,,,,*976772# US
+19292056099,,84597923708#,,,,*976772# US (New York)
Dial by your location
• +1 646 931 3860 US
• +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
• +1 309 205 3325 US
• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
• +1 719 359 4580 US
• +1 253 205 0468 US
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
• +1 360 209 5623 US
• +1 386 347 5053 US
• +1 507 473 4847 US
• +1 564 217 2000 US
• +1 669 444 9171 US
• +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
• +1 689 278 1000 US
Meeting ID: 845 9792 3708 Passcode: 976772
Find your local number:https://us06web.zoom.us/u/ktN54hsaN
AGENDA – 8/20/2025
I. Approval of Minutes from 8/20/25
II. Evaluate
– Listing of mandated policies as per recent legislation
VSBA Policy Update Review List
– Gender Freedom in Schools – Proposed new policy
F34 Transgender and Gender Creative Students Policy
– F5 Searches, Seizures, and Interrogation of Students by Law Enforcement Personnel or Other Non-School Personnel
– G4 Selection of Library Materials
Compare with Required Policy to be adopted as of 7/1/25
– G17 Proficiency-Based Grade Requirements
– C8 Board Relations with School Personnel
– B3 Board Member Conflict of Interest
– E12 Electronic Communications Use and Retention
– G5 Selection of Instructional Materials
– G6 Complaints About Instructional Materials
– H4 Distribution of Non-School Sponsored Literature in Schools
Set Agenda for next meeting September 10, 2025
Meeting to conclude at 4:00.
…
Note: These minutes should be considered preliminary until they are approved at the next Policy
and Amendment Committee meeting.
———————————————————————————————————————
Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Policy and Amendment Committee
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Regular meeting 2:00 p.m.
Hybrid meeting: WSESU Central Office, 53 Green St., Brattleboro, VT and
Remotely via Zoom
DRAFT MINUTES
Policy and Amendment Committee members present: Deborah Stanford (DS, Chair), Anne Beekman (AB)
WSESD/U Staff and Administrators present: Superintendent Mark Speno (MS), Mo Hart (MH), Bethany Bechard (BB)
Guests: Liz Adams (via zoom)
Call to Order
DS convened the meeting at 2:10 p.m. and read the hybrid statement.
Approval of Minutes and confirmation of next meeting date
The minutes of 6/25/25 meeting approved by assent.
The Policy and Amendment Committee meets on second and fourth Wednesdays, from 2-4 pm at the WSESU Central Office and on Zoom. The next meetings are scheduled for:
August 27
September 10
Updates
The WSESD Board has asked the Policy Committee to consider meeting either later or earlier in the day to accommodate parents with school-aged children who would like to be more involved with the committee. The committee discussed options, but did not find a different time that could work with the schedule of administrators, due to demands during the school day and evening meetings. The P&A Committee will continue to meet from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Amendment to Agenda
The VSBA is asking for a fast adoption timeline for the new Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams policy (10/1 deadline), so the committee added the policy to the top of the agenda.
Policies
New policy: Behavior Threat Assessment Teams
The committee reviewed the draft of the Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams policy from the VSBA and looked at the Vermont statutes referenced within it. The policy codifies what the district is already doing. The Behavior Threat Assessment Team is a new title, but schools have school safety teams in place.
The new policy will be given the code E19.
E19 Behavior Threat Assessment Teams will go for a first reading on August 26.
The committee looked at the spreadsheet created by BB and MH, attached to agenda, which shows policies with VSBA updates to review. Several policies from that list were discussed today.
G13 Responsible Computer, Network, and Internet Use
This policy was recently readopted (8/13/24), but there were a couple of edits from the VSBA that hadn’t been seen. The committee reviewed the suggested additions and is sending this policy for a first reading with those edits in place.
G13 will go for a first reading on August 26.
D12 Policy on Prevention of Harassment of Employees
The update from the VSBA included a complete rewrite of the definition of “Unlawful Harassment” and a single word change to the definition of “Sexual Harassment.” The committee accepted the proposed edits without any changes.
MS noted that updates are needed in the designated employees list in Appendix A.
D12 will go for a first reading on August 26.
G17 Proficiency-Based Grade Requirements
This is a new policy for the district and will be given the code G17.
The committee reviewed this policy in detail and made the following changes:
● “parents” “caregivers”
● Rewrite #2 under responsibilities: “Students are being assessed as proficient against the comprehensive set of board-adopted PBGRs set forth in the first paragraph of this policy prior to their receipt of a high school diploma.”
● Edit final sentence in the first paragraph: “…and when they meet any additional graduation requirements described by this Board as determined by the district.”
The discussion of the policy included the note that a foreign language is not required for graduation.
The policy refers to Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) for students, and the question was raised whether a PLP is different from an IEP. They are different. Ideally, all students should have a PLP.
The committee started to review the final section of the policy (“Monitoring of PBGR Implementation”) and decided to seek input on this policy from admin at the high school. MS will forward the policy so Hannah and her team can take a look. They will be invited to attend a P&A meeting later in September.
G17 is ON HOLD awaiting input from high school admin team.
D15 Travel Reimbursement
The committee briefly reviewed D15. MH suggested that it would be good to cross-reference the procurement manual. MH will reach out to Jody and Laura to see if they can be present for the next discussion of this policy, perhaps in September.
D15 is ON HOLD until September.
For upcoming meetings:
The next P&A meeting falls on the first day of school, so MS and others may not be able to attend.
MH and SK met with the specialist lawyer regarding Gender Freedom in Schools since the last meeting. SK will be asked to give an update at the next meeting, if available.
Meeting adjourned at 3:56 p.m.
Notes taken by Anna Monders (recorder)
Submitted by Anne Beekman (vice chair)
