School Committee Policies

If you are looking for protocols or policy information on student conduct regarding a specific Barrington school, please visit that school's main website and refer to the Student and Parent Handbook. You may also contact the principal of that school for clarification or additional information. 

Section A. District Commitments

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Policy: This policy supports the expectations and strategies outlined in the DEI Implementation Plan, designed to reinforce how race, ethnicity, language, disability, religion, age, sex, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, country of ancestral origin, interrupted education status, military status, or any other category protected by law affect and influence district-wide practices.

  • Recognition of Religious Holidays Policy: This policy requires Barrington Public Schools to be neutral in matters of religion and shall assume no role or responsibility for the religious training of any student or shall in no way become involved in the religious belief, disbelief or doubt of any student.

  • Accommodation for Religious Observance Policy: This policy follows the recognition of religious holidays in accordance with the mandate of the Constitution of the United States. It sets forth the protocol required of educators at BPS when requests are made by students to accommodate religious practice and outlines the educational implications for developing religious tolerance and inclusivity.

  • Video and Audio Recording Policy: This policy approves the use of audio and video recordings for educational purposes including recording student performances for instructional purposes; creating classroom instruction materials; athletic coaching; and providing tools for educator/staff coaching and development.

  • Video and Audio Recording of Students and Staff Policy: This policy approves the use of video and audio recordings for education purposes.

  • School Calendar Policy: This policy requires the Superintendent to develop an official school calendar to be recommended to the School Committee for approval and adoption.

Section B. School Committee Governance and Operations

  • School Committee Membership Policy: This policy outlines the qualifications of School Committee members and the procedures for elections, vacancies, and resignation.

  • Barrington Public Schools Advisory Committees to the School Committee Policy: This policy identifies and establishes the responsibilities of standing and ad hoc advisory committees to the School Committee. It also outlines opportunities for community involvement in the decision-making process.

  • School Committee By-Laws : This policy outlines by-laws that govern the School Committee including: election of officers, types of meetings, posting of meetings, conduct of meetings, agenda and meeting materials, legal authority and responsibility, policy development, policy adoption, emergency procedures, and engagement.

  • Decision-Making Processes and Protocol Policy: This policy defines the essential components of the decision-making process at BPS and provides recurring annual evaluation of the process. It outlines essential components of decision-making protocol including decision-makers, timelines or sequences, communication plans, and measurement of expected outcomes.

  • Barrington Public Schools Communication Policy: This policy affirms that families and community members have a right to know what is occurring in their public schools and that all BPS employees have an obligation to ensure the public is kept systematically and adequately informed.

  • Superintendent Evaluation Policy: This policy determines the responsibility of the School Committee to evaluate the Superintendent's performance and employment.

  • Suspension of Policies: This policy outlines circumstances under which School Committee policies may be suspended.

Section C. School Administration

  • Administration in the Absence of Policy: This policy outlines the Superintendent's power and authority to address and, if necessary, resolve any situation not specifically covered by School Committee policy.

  • Adoption of the Rhode Island Basic Education Program: This policy ensures that the Barrington Public Schools are in full compliance with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) Basic Education Program (BEP).

  • Appeals Policy: This policy outlines the appeals process and structure including the right to file a written appeal to a Building Principal, Superintendent, or School Committee.

  • Chief Administrative Officer: This policy outlines the process for appointing a Superintendent of Schools.

  • Distribution of Non-School Materials Policy: This policy defines non-school materials and prevents the distribution of non-school materials in school buildings.

  • Handbooks: This policy outlines the process for developing building handbooks and affirms that handbook contents may include relevant district-wide school policy and building regulations and procedures.

  • Policy Implementation: This policy describes the responsibility of the Superintendent and District Administrators to carry out policies established by the School Committee.

  • Principal Powers and Duties: This policy outlines responsibilities of Building Principals including: serving as the educational administrator for the school, working with the SIT, recommending hiring and terminating of candidates, overseeing management of school facilities, preparing a school budget, evaluating school personnel, and initiating a performance review plan.

  • School Committee Review of Procedures: This policy outlines the School Committee's right to review procedures issued by the Administration at its discretion.

  • School Improvement Team (SIT) Policy: This policy outlines the responsibilities of SIT to monitor SMART Goals (School Improvement Plan) for continuous improvement based on the District Strategic Goals (Scorecard), data, and feedback provided by the school and district-based teams such as the data teams, the Health and Wellness Committee, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) teams, and the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support teams.

  • Superintendent Powers and Responsibilities: This policy determines the powers and responsibilities of the Superintendent.

Section D. Fiscal Management

  • Budget Statement: This policy describes fiscal responsibility of Barrington Public Schools.

  • Fund Balance Spending Policy: This policy provides guidelines for budget decisions related to the appropriate use of resources and the maintenance of adequate reserves sufficient to ensure that programs and services continue to students when unanticipated expenditures, emergencies, and/or fluctuations in revenue sources occur.

  • Meal Charge Policy: This policy establishes consistent meal account procedures throughout the District.

  • Obsolete Equipment: This policy authorizes the Superintendent to sell, lease, or change in use equipment devoted to school use upon the recorded vote of the School Committee taken at a public meeting.

  • Transfer of Funds Within Budget: This policy authorizes the Superintendent to, subject to the usual requirements of approval of vouchers, spend at his discretion up to the total of any major object in the budget.

  • Utilization of Single-Use Products Policy: This policy outlines the District's commitment to equity and environmental stewardship and requires the reduction of the purchase of redundant or unnecessary products for use in the classroom and throughout the school, including the cafeteria.

Section E. Support Services

  • Accessibility in School and District Events Policy and Protocol: This policy guides the District's commitment to planning accessible events and providing reasonable accommodations to support the full participation of all members of our community.

  • Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Policy: This policy describes the district's responsibility to work cooperatively with all agencies that address child abuse and neglect, specifically with the Division of Child Protective Services of Rhode Island’s Department for Children, Youth, and Families.

  • Home Teaching Policy: This policy authorizes the Superintendent to hire a teacher for home instruction for a student who is absent from school for a period of extended duration due to illness.

  • Service Animals Policy: This policy outlines the requirements for bringing a service animal on school property, supervising and caring for service animals, removing a service animal from school property, and dealing with grievances related to service animals.

  • Special Education Staffing Policy: This policy outlines the plan for providing adequate special education staffing in the District.

  • Transportation Policy: This policy states that the School Committee shall provide transportation in accordance with the law to Barrington residents attending private and parochial schools.

  • Video Cameras on School Buses Policy: This policy allows for the use of video cameras on school buses to monitor student behavior.

Section F. Health and Wellness

  • Health and Wellness Policy: This policy establishes guidelines and recommendations for all students in the areas of physical education, physical activity, health education, and nutrition to support the health of BPS students and staff through data-driven programs.

  • Alcohol Sensor Device Policy: This policy outlines ways the District aims to prevent underage inappropriate and/or illicit substance use at school events.

  • Bullying Policy: This policy, also called the Safe School Act, ensures a consistent and unified statewide approach to the prohibition of bullying at all Barrington public schools.

  • Communicable Disease Policy: This policy outlines protocols that maximize protection against communicable diseases in the school setting, using guidance provided by state and federal health agencies.

  • First Aid and Health Emergencies Policy: This policy describes the protocols school and District leaders must follow in the event of first aid and health emergencies.

  • Food Allergies Policy: This policy ensures that the District provides a safe and healthy learning environment for students with food allergies; reduces the likelihood of severe or potentially life-threatening allergic reactions; ensures a rapid and effective response in the case of a severe or potentially life threatening allergic reaction; and protects the rights of food allergic students to participate in all school activities.

  • HIV Infected Students and Employees Policy: This policy outlines District responsibilities to and protections for HIV-positive students and employees.

  • Medical Marijuana Policy: This policy provides governance regarding medical marijuana including provisions for verifying student qualifications, safely administering medical marijuana to students, labeling of medical marijuana products, documenting of administration, and release of liability.

  • Nathan Bruno Model Suicide Prevention Policy: This policy protects the health and well-being of all students by having procedures in place to prevent, assess the risk of, intervene, and respond to suicide.

    • Risk Screening Protocol: This document outlines the protocol for Risk Screening, which is characteristically used when there is an indication that an individual is at risk for self-harm or suicide.

  • School Response to Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Violence Policy: This policy provides guidelines for raising school-wide awareness about teen dating violence and sexual violence; responding to incidents; and preventing new incidents of dating violence, and sexual violence.

  • Secure Gun Storage Notification Policy: This policy requires the District to take proactive measures to notify, inform, and educate parents/guardians and families of the importance of secure gun storage and legal obligations to protect minors from accessing irresponsibly stored guns.

  • Sexual Health Education and Services Policy: This policy provides direction and promotes consistency for staff who teach and/or support students in regards to their sexual health and ensures accountability and institutionalization of sexual health education and ongoing access to services consistent with best practice and state law.

    • School Health Education Topics Notification and Opt Out Protocol: This document informs families/guardians about the health education topics scheduled to be delivered in schools and establishes a process for families/guardians to opt their child out of specific topics while ensuring compliance with Rhode Island General Laws §§ 16-1-5, 16-22-17, and 16-22-18.

  • Smoking, Vaping, and Other Use of Nicotine Policy: This policy outlaws the use of tobacco, nicotine, or nicotine products in any school building, on any school grounds, at any athletic event, or in any district-owned or used vehicle. It outlines a disciplinary sequence and consequences for violating policy.

  • Substance Use Policy: This policy prohibits the use, possession, and distribution of prohibited substances within the school environment, which includes any school, school grounds, school-related or school-sponsored activity, whether held on school property or at locations off school property, and in school vehicles.

  • Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy: This policy, which is adopted pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) and 34 CFR § 106.45, prohibits sexual harassment of students and employees in connection with any BPS program or activity, whether on or off school grounds, including on school buses, at sports games, on field trips, and while attending or engaging in school-sponsored activities.

  • Use of Latex Gloves Policy: This policy prevents Barrington school cafeteria or other food service establishment from utilizing disposable, natural rubber latex gloves whether sterile or non-sterile.

  • Use of Opioid Antagonists Policy: This policy establishes guidelines and procedures governing the utilization of Opioid Antagonists administered by members of the Barrington Public Schools.

Section G. Facilities Development and Environmental Stewardship

Section H. Personnel

Section I. Instruction and Activities

Section J. Students

Section K. School Community Relations

Section L. School Safety