MERIDEN REVISED POLICIES (2000 SERIES)

ADMINISTRATION GOALS 2010

The general purpose of the administration shall be to coordinate and supervise, under the policies of the Board and administrative regulations of the Superintendent, the creation and operation of an environment in which students learn most effectively.

The administrative organization shall be designed so that all divisions and departments of the Central Office and all schools are part of a single system guided by Board policies which are implemented through the Superintendent.

The Superintendent and all other administrators shall have the authority and responsibility necessary for the performance of specific administrative assignments and shall be held accountable for the effectiveness with which the administrative assignments are carried out. The Board shall be responsible for clearly specifying requirements and expectations to be met. In turn, the Superintendent shall be responsible for clearly specifying requirements and expectations for all other administrators, then holding them accountable by evaluating how well requirements and expectations have been met.

Cross Reference:

Policy 2100 (Administrative Organization Plan)

Approved: April 28, 1981

Approved: March 1, 2016

Previous Policy Number: CA

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION PLAN 2100

The authority of the Board is to be transmitted through the Superintendent along specific paths from person to person as shown by organizational charts of the district. The lines of authority and responsibility are displayed on the Meriden Board of Education Table of Organization.

Personnel shall be expected to refer matters requiring administrative action to the administrator to whom they are responsible. The administrator shall refer such matters to the next higher administrative authority when necessary. All personnel are expected to keep the person to whom they are immediately responsible informed of their activities by whatever means their supervisor deems appropriate.

Cross Reference:

Policy 2010 (Goals)
2100.1 (R) Table of Organization

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016

Previous Policy Number: CB8

Previous Policy Number: JA

View / download Table of Organization (printable PDF)

LINE AND STAFF RELATIONS 2121

The Superintendent can delegate authority (except as it concerns nominations) to other members of the administrative staff or other employees.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016
Previous Policy Number: CB6

JOB DESCRIPTIONS 2130

All job descriptions are compiled separately and are located in the Meriden Board of Education Personnel Office.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016

Previous Policy Number: CB7-R

Consistent with Board policy and administrative regulations and procedures, the Superintendent shall have job descriptions prepared for all school district employees.

Cross Reference:

Policy 2131.3 (General Duties)
Policy 4211 (Classified Staff Positions)

LEGAL STATUS 2131.1

The Board shall appoint, subject to conditions of a written contract approved by the majority of the Board, and for a term not to exceed three years, a Superintendent of Schools, who shall be the executive officer of the Board.  The Superintendent shall be appointed through a majority vote of the Board.

The Superintendent shall receive due notification of regular and special meetings and attend all regular, special and executive sessions of the Board. The Superintendent shall have the privileges of the floor and of debate at meetings of the Board but may not propose or second a motion or vote. The Superintendent shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of all committees.

Legal Reference:

Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-157

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016
Previous Policy Number: CB1

The salary of the Superintendent, additional benefits, vacation entitlements, and other leave shall be determined at the time of appointment or reappointment and shall be part of the written contract.

Additional benefits, such as health and other forms of insurance, annual vacation, holidays, and temporary and extended leaves and absences shall be at least equal to those granted other professional staff members.

GENERAL DUTIES 2131.3

The Superintendent shall be the Executive Officer of the Board and shall be responsible to it for the operation and maintenance of the Meriden Public Schools in accordance with the rules, regulations and policies of the Board and the laws of the state.

The Superintendent shall supervise and direct all employees and be the medium of all official communications between them and the Board. The Superintendent shall be responsible, within the limits of the available resources, for the institution and maintenance of the best possible organization, courses and methods of instruction, discipline, textbooks, equipment and supplies and to this end shall keep well-informed by study, by conferences, by attendance at conventions, and by visits to other school systems.

Cross Reference:

Policy 2130.1 (Prescription of Duties to Other Employees)

Approved: April 28, 1981

Reviewed on March 1, 2016, and no changes made.

The Board of Education shall annually evaluate the Superintendent of Schools as required by state statute.

Through evaluation of the Superintendent, the Board shall strive to accomplish the following:

clarify the Superintendent's role in the school system as seen by the Board;

clarify for all Board members the Superintendent's role based upon the job description and responsibilities as agreed upon by the Board and the Superintendent;

develop a harmonious working relationship between the Board and the Superintendent; and

provide administrative leadership for the school system.

All evaluation meetings will be in executive session and all evaluation reports will be considered confidential.

Legal Reference:

Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-157

The Superintendent shall have the authority to call such meetings of employees as deemed to be necessary.

Within limits approved by the Board, the Superintendent shall have the authority to review and modify the assignment of pupils to schools, grades and special classes.

TRANSPORTATION 2131.7

Within limits approved by the Board, the Superintendent shall determine which pupils are entitled to transportation, in accordance with Board Policy 5181 and guidelines.

Cross Reference:

Policy 5181 (Student Transportation)

Policy 5181.4 (Transportation Zones)

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016

RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 2140

The Board shall appoint the Superintendent of Schools.

When a vacancy occurs in the position of Superintendent, the Board shall announce the vacancy and advertise for applications for the position in newspapers, journals, periodicals and through any other means that it deems appropriate.  In order to provide the most capable leadership available for this school district, the Board may engage in a nationwide search for applicants for this position.  The services of consultants may be engaged to assist in screening the candidates to be interviewed by the Board.

Legal Reference:

Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-157

Cross Reference:

Policy 2131.1 (Legal Status)

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016

ADMINISTRATION IN THE ABSENCE OF POLICY 2210

The Superintendent shall have the power to implement action within the school system if an emergency situation should develop for which the Board has no approved policy. It is the Superintendent’s duty to inform the Board of any such action and of the need for an official policy.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016

IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY 2250

Those in supervisory positions are responsible for informing all personnel within their responsibility of existing policies and regulations and for seeing that they are implemented in the spirit intended. Disregard for Board policies and administrative regulations may constitute willful neglect of duty and may constitute grounds for dismissal.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Reviewed on March 1, 2016, and no changes made.

Previous Policy Number: CD

REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE RULES BY THE BOARD 2250.1

The Board reserves the right to review and veto administrative rules should they, in the Board's judgment, be inconsistent with the policies adopted by the Board.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Reviewed on March 1, 2016, and no changes made.

Previous Policy Number: CD2

For the purpose of keeping the staff informed, an administrative handbook detailing the operating procedures for the Meriden Public Schools shall be developed and copies made accessible to staff members. It shall be an administrative responsibility to develop this handbook and to keep it current.

2250.21R

DISSEMINATION OF BOARD POLICIES, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS

The Office of the Superintendent is responsible for the maintenance of the Board Policies and Administrative Rules and Regulations Manuals.

Distribution will be to the Board of Education, Central Office administration, principals, and others as designated by the Superintendent.  This manual will be available on the district website.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016

Previous Policy Number: CD3-R

APPROVAL OF HANDBOOKS AND DIRECTIVES 2250.3

The Superintendent shall approve the publication of all curriculum guides, manuals, handbooks, pamphlets, and similar publications that deal with policies and procedures of the school system.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Reviewed on March 1, 2016, and no changes made.
Previous Policy Number: CD4

2250.31R

GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF SCHOOL HANDBOOKS AND DIRECTIVES

School Handbooks are designed to assist in the administration and operation of a particular school. They are used by staff, students and parents.  They are unique to each school.

The Administrative Rules and Regulations which complement the Board Policies are more system-wide in scope and are issued by the Central Administrative Office with the approval of the Superintendent. They do not replace School Handbooks.

The Superintendent shall approve all School Handbooks prior to publication.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016

Previous Policy Number: CD4-R

TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS 2250.4

The responsibility for decision-making must be clearly delineated. This is particularly true if the Superintendent, for one reason or another, is unavailable. In these cases, there should be a clear line of administrative succession which designates both responsibility and authority.

In the event of serious illness or death of the Superintendent, the President of the Board shall call a special meeting of the Board to determine what course the district should take at that time.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Reviewed on March 1, 2016, and no changes made.

Previous Policy Number: CD6

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT 2270

An annual profile report covering the diversified activities of the school system shall be prepared by the Superintendent and presented to the Board at the next regularly scheduled public meeting of the Board after each November first.  The profile report shall provide information on measures of (1) student needs, (2) school resources, including technological resources and utilization of such resources and infrastructure, (3) student and school performance, including the number of truants and chronically absent children, (4) the number of students enrolled in the adult high school credit diploma program operated by the district (5) equitable allocation of resources among its schools, (6) reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation, (7) special education, and (8) school-based arrests.

Measures of special education include (A) special education identification rates by disability, (B) rates at which special education students are exempted from mastery testing, (C) expenditures for special education, including such expenditures as a percentage of total expenditures, (D) achievement data for special education students, (E) rates at which students identified as requiring special education are no longer identified as requiring special education, (F) the availability of supplemental educational services for students lacking basic educational skills, (G) the amount of special education student instructional time with nondisabled peers, (H) the number of students placed out-of-district, and (I) the actions taken by the district to improve special education programs, as indicated by analyses of the local data provided in subparagraphs (A) to (H).

The superintendent shall include in the narrative portion of the report information about parental involvement and if the district has taken measures to improve parental involvement, including, but not limited to, employment of methods to engage parents in the planning and improvement of school programs and methods to increase support to parents working at home with their children on learning activities.

The report shall be made available to the public and used as one means for informing parents and citizens, the state education agency, and other school districts in the area of the programs and condition of the Meriden Public Schools.

Legal Reference:

Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-220

Approved: April 28, 1981

Amended: March 1, 2016

Previous Policy Number: CF

ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS 2500

Enrollment forecasts shall be presented to the Board annually with reports reflecting current and historical information on in/out migrations, births and the school census. After a thorough analysis of all the factors affecting student enrollment, the Board will adopt an official enrollment projection for all planning and budgeting purposes.

An information system to collect and report the above information shall be implemented. The same system will be used to provide routine analytical reports on class sizes and building/staff utilization throughout the school system.

Approved: April 28, 1981

Reviewed on March 1, 2016, and no changes made.

Previous Policy Number: FB

NAMING OF BOARD FACILITIES                        2600

The Meriden Board of Education (the “Board”) shall have exclusive discretion to determine whether to pursue, accept or decline an opportunity to name Board-owned facilities.  Similarly, the Board shall have discretionary authority to rescind naming rights based on actions determined to be inappropriate and/or in conflict with Board values.   In exercising its discretion, the Board may grant naming rights in recognition of individuals who have made significant contributions to society and/or the Meriden Public Schools (the “District”).  To that end, the District shall follow the guidelines and procedures outlined below.  

Requests for naming rights of Board-owned facilities shall be directed to the principal of the relevant Board school or the Superintendent, if the facility is not located on school grounds.  The principal or Superintendent, if the facility is not located on school grounds, shall review the request to ensure that there is evidence of the following:

• The individual has outstanding achievements in education, science, art, music, government, political science, military service or sports.
• The individual has attained prominence, locally or nationally.
• The individual is not a current District employee.
• The individual is a former District employee who served the majority of his/her career in Meriden.
• The individual served as a former District employee who served in excess of ten years and made significant contributions to the District above and beyond his/her professional obligations.
• If the individual is a former District employee, s/he has been retired or separated from employment with the District.  
• The individual is a positive role model to students, peers and colleagues.

If the above criteria are satisfied, the principal shall forward the request to the building’s School Governance Council.  The School’s Governance Council shall review the request and make a recommendation to the Superintendent.  Prior to making a recommendation, the School Governance Council shall obtain a minimum of three (3) letters of recommendations and conduct a background check of the individual.  If the School Governance Council gives the request a positive recommendation, the Superintendent shall review the following:

• Evidence of the individual’s outstanding achievement and/or contribution;
• Three (3) letters of recommendation; and
• The results of the background check.

Based on the above, the Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the Board. The Board shall make a final determination, but may only grant naming rights to an individual in recognition.  Accordingly, the Board shall not grant naming rights to a commercial entity or in consideration, i.e., exchange of naming rights in consideration of financial contributions, sponsorship or other commercial transactions.

Adopted May 16, 2017

PLEASE CLICK ON LINK BELOW FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF FORM.

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