Listen to the full meeting
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.
Topics discussed
- 50:15 · Attendance Policy and D4 Buyback Program
A detailed presentation and discussion on the district’s attendance policy, focusing on proposed changes and the controversial D4 buyback program, which penalizes students for unexcused absences. The committee decided to remove the D4 section from the policy and leave it to individual school handbooks. - 58:29 · To refer the attendance policy to the full committee with the amendment to remove the D4 buyback section (and everything after page 16), with that component to be handled in individual school handbooks. — passed
To refer the attendance policy to the full committee with the amendment to remove the D4 buyback section (and everything after page 16), with that component to be handled in individual school handbooks. - 59:46 · To table agenda item 3-2 to the next meeting. — passed
To table agenda item 3-2 to the next meeting. - 59:52 · To refer the Durfee High School Athletic Handbook to the full committee with the recommendation to add or link to the specific academic eligibility requirements. — passed
To refer the Durfee High School Athletic Handbook to the full committee with the recommendation to add or link to the specific academic eligibility requirements. - 1:00:05 · Athletic Handbook and Eligibility
Review of the Durfee High School Athletic Handbook, with a focus on clarifying academic eligibility rules for student-athletes. A change was made to prevent credit recovery from affecting eligibility in the same term. - 1:07:59 · Expense Reimbursement Policy
Discussion on updating the expense reimbursement policy to use a standardized per diem rate based on federal guidelines, rather than collecting individual receipts, to simplify the process. - 1:12:36 · MASC Policy Services Contract
An update was provided on the status of the contract with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) for policy review services. - 1:16:15 · To refer the expense reimbursement policy to the full committee with the recommended change to add a sentence stating the CFO will provide an annual guide for reimbursement rates. — passed
To refer the expense reimbursement policy to the full committee with the recommended change to add a sentence stating the CFO will provide an annual guide for reimbursement rates. - 1:22:33 · Destruction of Property Policy
The committee discussed the policy on vandalism and property destruction, deciding to implement a data collection system for incidents costing over $500 by adding a ‘vandalism’ tag to the SchoolDude maintenance system. - 1:22:33 · To refer the destruction of property policy as discussed and amended to include data collection for vandalism incidents over $500 via the SchoolDude system. — passed
To refer the destruction of property policy as discussed and amended to include data collection for vandalism incidents over $500 via the SchoolDude system. - 1:28:15 · Work From Home Policy
A debate on whether to create a formal work-from-home policy. The consensus was that staff should be present, with exceptions only under superintendent discretion for special circumstances. The item was tabled. - 1:36:19 · To table the work from home policy for further review. — passed
To table the work from home policy for further review. - 1:37:58 · Hiring and Job Descriptions
A discussion about ensuring new hires meet the required qualifications listed in job descriptions. The administration affirmed its commitment to following hiring protocols, and no policy was deemed necessary. - 1:48:31 · Staff Handbook Update
The committee confirmed the need for an updated staff handbook, separate from the student handbook, and the administration committed to providing a draft by October. - 1:49:32 · Drug, Alcohol, and Vaping Policies
In response to public complaints at a City Council meeting, the committee discussed reinforcing policies against smoking, vaping, and alcohol use by staff and parents on or near school grounds.