Pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws §16-2-9, the Smithfield School Committee is responsible for establishing and maintaining written policies governing the operation of the school department.
To support this responsibility, the School Committee hereby establishes a Policy Subcommittee to review, develop, and recommend policies for consideration by the full School Committee.
The Policy Subcommittee shall serve in an advisory capacity only. Final authority for adoption, amendment, suspension, or repeal of any School Committee policy rests solely with the Smithfield School Committee.
The Policy Subcommittee shall:
Review existing School Committee policies on a continuing basis to ensure legal compliance, clarity, consistency, and alignment with district goals.
Recommend new policies or revisions to existing policies as required by:
Changes in federal or state law
Rhode Island Department of Education regulations
Operational or governance needs of the district
Review and recommend approval of student, staff, athletic, and other official district handbooks in accordance with Policy CHCA.
Provide notice to the full School Committee during a public meeting when a significant policy development or revision is underway.
The Policy Subcommittee shall be appointed annually by majority vote of the School Committee at a public meeting.
Membership shall include:
Two (2) members of the School Committee
The Superintendent (non-voting advisory member)
Other non-voting advisory participants, such as other administrators or legal counsel, may participate as needed at the request of the Superintendent or Subcommittee Chair
The School Committee Chair shall designate the Subcommittee Chair.
The Policy Subcommittee shall review draft policies or amendments to policies prior to presentation to the full School Committee.
All policies or policy changes recommended by the Policy Subcommittee shall receive at least two public readings before final adoption by majority vote of the School Committee. A second reading may be waived at the discretion of the School Committee Chair in order for policy to remain legally compliant, for time-sensitive revisions, or when policy changes have been previously discussed by the School Committee at a duly noticed meeting.
The Subcommittee shall maintain a policy review schedule to ensure systematic review of the policy manual.
The Superintendent shall notify the Subcommittee of any legal requirements necessitating new or revised policy.
While not legally required for advisory committees, the Subcommittee shall hold its meetings in accordance with the Rhode Island Open Meetings Act.
The School Committee shall maintain an updated policy manual in electronic format accessible to the public through the district website. Policies shall include reference dates reflecting adoption and revision history.
First read: March 5, 2026
Approved: March 19, 2026