School committee approves 2022–23 student handbooks; committee asks explicit restorative-hour language be added

The Blackstone–Millville Regional School Committee voted unanimously to approve the 2022–23 student handbooks for the district, after administrators walked the committee through a cover-sheet of minor changes and clarifications.

What changed: the handbooks update includes an updated cover year, revised committee and position listings, minor formatting and font fixes, a slight adjustment to start/tardy windows (Middle/Complex supervision at 8:45 a.m.; MES start time reflected as 8:55 a.m.), updated descriptions for intervention programs (including a new math intervention entry and STEM descriptions), inclusion of PBIS expectations, and throughout the document the term "expulsion" was replaced with "exclusion." The presentation also clarified bussing rules (two-week minimum for certain bus changes), and updated the homework guidance to a 15–30 minute reading expectation for early grades.

Restorative hours and attendance: committee members asked that restorative-hour language (an option for students to make up attendance-related grade penalties through structured after-school time) be made explicit and easy to find in the handbook. Administrators agreed to add clear restorative-hour wording and to ensure the handbook and website match.

Quote: "We changed ... expulsion to exclusion," said Jill Roman while reviewing edits, noting the change was applied throughout the document.

Vote and next steps: A motion to approve the handbooks as presented (with the committeerequested clarifying edits) passed unanimously. Administrators will update the handbook text to explicitly state the restorative-hour option, align the website language, and circulate final versions to families.