8.26.2026 Fall River School Committee - Policy Subcommittee

The Fall River School Committee's Policy Subcommittee met on August 26, 2026, to review several key district policies. The most significant discussion centered on the student attendance policy. The administration presented data showing a decrease in chronic absenteeism from 37.3% to 25.4% and an increase in daily attendance to 91.6% over three years. A major point of contention was the "D4 buyback" program, which reduces a passing student's grade to a 65 after their fourth unexcused absence. After a lengthy debate about the program's effectiveness and fairness, the subcommittee voted to refer an amended version of the policy to the full committee, removing the punitive D4 section and delegating such consequences to individual school handbooks.

The subcommittee also reviewed and advanced other items. They approved referring the Durfee High School Athletic Handbook to the full committee with a recommendation to add specific language about eligibility requirements. An expense reimbursement policy was also referred forward, amended to state that the CFO will issue an annual guide on per diem rates based on federal guidelines. A policy on the destruction of property was advanced with a new provision to track vandalism incidents costing over $500 via the district's maintenance ticket system. A proposed work-from-home policy was tabled for further review of existing staff attendance policies. The meeting concluded with a discussion prompted by community complaints about staff smoking, vaping, and littering near schools, with the administration committing to reinforce existing rules.

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