The School Board held a Special Business Meeting on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 prior to a Budget Workshop.  The regular business meeting on March 14 was canceled due to weather.  During this Special Business Meeting, the board voted to table three policies that are up for second reading until the next regular business meeting on April 11.

The three policies include: ACAC - Service Animals in the Schools; IMG - Animals in Schools; and IMGB - Therapy Dogs and Other Therapy Animals.  Policy IMGB is a new draft policy created in response to the request from a staff member who asked for permission to add therapy dogs to the school as a resource.  The draft policy has generated significant feedback.  The board voted to table the item to April to allow for more in-depth conversation than was possible during the March 21 Special Meeting.

Policy Chair Kathleen Curry-Sparks recommended that the other two policies, IMG and ACAC, be tabled as well in order to align with the new policy.  In addition, Curry-Sparks informed the board that a conversation with the Town Manager Matthew Sturgis confirmed that the Town's dog ordinance guidelines do not apply to inside a school building -- they apply only on school grounds.  The Superintendent and School Board manage that jurisdiction.responding to questions regarding