§ 10-221 — Boards of education to prescribe rules, policies and procedures.

Connecticut § 10-221

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 10: Education and Culture
• Ch. 170: Boards of Education

Text

(a) As used in this section, “remote learning” means instruction by means of one or more Internet-based software platforms as part of a remote learning model. (b) Boards of education shall prescribe rules for the management, studies, classification and discipline of the public schools and, subject to the control of the State Board of Education, the textbooks to be used; shall make rules for the control, within their respective jurisdictions, of school library media centers, including Internet access and content, and approve the selection of books and other educational media therefor, and shall approve plans for public school buildings and superintend any high or graded school in the manner specified in this title. (c) Each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies concerning homework, attendance, promotion and retention. The Department of Education shall make available model policies and guidelines to assist local and regional boards of education in meeting the responsibilities enumerated in this subsection. (d) Boards of education may prescribe rules to impose sanctions against pupils who damage or fail to return textbooks, library materials or other educational materials. Said boards may charge pupils for such damaged or lost textbooks, library materials or other educational materials and may withhold grades, transcripts or report cards until the pupil pays for or returns the textbook, library book or other educational material. (e) Each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement policies and procedures in conformity with section 10-154a for (1) dealing with the use, sale or possession of alcohol or controlled drugs, as defined in section 21a-240 , by public school students on school property, including a process for coordination with, and referral of such students to, appropriate agencies, and (2) cooperating with law enforcement officials. On and after January 1, 2022, no such policies and procedures shall result in a student facing greater discipline, punishment or sanction for use, sale or possession of cannabis than a student would face for the use, sale or possession of alcohol. (f) Each local and regional board of education shall adopt a written policy and procedures for dealing with youth suicide prevention and youth suicide attempts. Each such board of education may (1) establish a student assistance program to identify (A) risk factors for youth suicide, based on the state-wide strategic suicide prevention plan developed by the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board, established pursuant to section 17a-52 , and shall include, but need not be limited to, youth who are (i) bereaved by suicide, (ii) disabled or have chronic health conditions, such as mental health or substance use disorders, (iii) involved in the juvenile justice system, (iv) experiencing homelessness or placed in an out-of-home setting, such as foster care, or (v) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning, (B) procedures to intervene with such youths, (C) referral services, and (D) training for teachers and other school professionals and students who provide assistance in the program, and (2) use an assessment, from a list of such assessments recommended by the Department of Education pursuant to section 10-212n , to determine the suicide risk of students who exhibit mental health distress, have been identified as at risk of suicide or are considered to be at an increased risk of suicide based on the risk factors identified pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. Students who are assessed based on such risk factors shall receive heightened consideration during such assessment. (g) (1) Each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies and procedures to encourage parent-teacher communication. These policies and procedures may include monthly newsletters, required regular contact with all parents, flexible parent-teacher conferences, drop-in hours for parents, home visits and the use of technology such as homework hot lines to allow parents to check on their children's assignments and students to receive assistance if needed. Such policies and procedures shall require the district to conduct two flexible parent-teacher conferences for each school year. (2) For the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, the policies and procedures described in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall require the district to (A) offer parents the option of attending any parent-teacher conference by telephonic, video or other conferencing platform, (B) conduct one parent-teacher conference, in addition to those required pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, during periods when such district provides remote learning for more than three consecutive weeks, and one additional parent-teacher conference every six months thereafter for the duration of such period of remote learning, and (C) request from each student's parent the name and contact information of an emergency contact person who may be contacted if the student's parent cannot be reached to schedule a parent-teacher conference required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision. (3) On and after January 1, 2022, such policies and procedures shall require (A) a teacher conducting a parent-teacher conference required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of this subsection to provide a copy of the document developed pursuant to section 10-10h to the parent prior to the parent-teacher conference, and (B) if a teacher is unable to make contact with a student's parent in order to schedule a parent-teacher conference required pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of this subsection after making three attempts, such teacher shall report such inability to the school principal, school counselor or other school administrator designated by the local or regional board of education. Such principal, counselor or administrator shall contact any emergency contact person designated by the student's parent pursuant to subparagraph (C) of subdivision (2) of this subsection to ascertain such student and family's health and safety.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 1479; P.A. 78-218, S. 146; P.A. 80-32, S. 2, 3; P.A. 81-257, S. 3, 10; P.A. 82-137, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-275, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-499, S. 14, 34; P.A. 89-168, S. 2; P.A. 90-133, S. 2; P.A. 97-290, S. 14, 29; P.A. 03-76, S. 17; P.A. 06-196, S. 64; P.A. 10-32, S. 28; 10-111, S. 29; P.A. 15-215, S. 17; P.A. 21-46, S. 14; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-1, S. 19; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 390; P.A. 23-79, S. 4; 23-167, S. 80.) History: P.A. 78-218 substituted “public school buildings” for “schoolhouses”; P.A. 80-32 substituted “library media centers” for “libraries” and included reference to “other educational media” to reflect increased scope of libraries; P.A. 81-257 added Subsec. (b) authorizing boards to prescribe rules to impose sanctions against pupils who damage or fail to return textbooks and library and other educational materials; P.A. 82-137 made permissive rather than mandatory the adoption of rules to impose sanctions against pupils who fail to return or damage textbooks; P.A. 84-275 added new Subsec. (b) re written policies concerning homework, attendance, promotion and retention, relettering former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c); P.A. 87-499 added new Subsec. (d) concerning policies and procedures re alcohol and controlled drugs; P.A. 89-168 added Subsec. (e) requiring each local and regional board of education to adopt a written policy and procedures for dealing with youth suicide prevention and youth suicide attempts; P.A. 90-133 in Subsec. (d) extended the deadline for the implementation of policies and procedures from July 1, 1988, to July 1, 1991, and added that the procedures include a process for coordination with appropriate agencies; P.A. 97-290 added Subsec. (f) re parent-teacher communication, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (e), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes in Subsec. (d), effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (f) by adding provision re 2 flexible parent-teacher conferences per school year, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 15-215 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “including Internet access and content”, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 21-46 added new Subsec. (a) defining “virtual learning”, redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) to (f) as Subsecs. (b) to (g), amended redesignated Subsecs. (c), (e) and (f) by deleting references to July 1, 1985, July 1, 1991, July 1, 1990, respectively, amended redesignated Subsec. (g) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and amending same to delete reference to September 1, 1998, replacing “get assistance” with “receive assistance” and deleting “For the school year commencing July 1, 2010, and each school year thereafter, such”, adding Subdiv. (2) re certain requirements re parent-teacher conferences, and adding Subdiv. (3) re provision of document developed pursuant to Sec. 10-10h and reporting of inability to schedule parent-teacher conference, and making conforming changes effective July, 1 2021; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-1 amended Subsec. (d), codified by the Revisors as Subsec. (e), by adding provision re policies and procedures on and after January 1, 2022, re discipline, punishment or sanction for use, sale or possession of cannabis by student; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 redefined “virtual learning” as “remote learning” and replaced “an in-person” with “a” in the definition, and replaced “virtual learning” with “remote learning”, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 23-79 made a technical change in Subsec. (e), effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 23-167 amended Subsec. (f) to designate existing provisions re identifying risk factors for suicide as Subdiv. (1)(A) and add reference to the state-wide strategic suicide prevention plan and inclusion of risk factors specified in Subparas. (A)(i) to (A)(v), designate existing provisions re identification of procedures for intervention, referral services and training as Subdivs. (1)(B) to (1)(D), respectively, and add Subdiv. (2) re using an assessment from a list of recommended assessments, effective July 1, 2023. Cited. 152 C. 148. Effect of Teacher Negotiation Act on educational policy. 162 C. 577. Cited. 193 C. 93; 218 C. 1. Board of education is agent of the state and not of the town in maintenance and management of public schools. 19 CS 158. Cited. 29 CS 397; 30 CS 63; 35 CS 55.