2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 170 - Boards of Education
Section 10-221 - Boards of education to prescribe rules, policies and procedures.

(a) Boards of education shall prescribe rules for the management, studies, classification and discipline of the public schools and, subject to the control of the State Board of Education, the textbooks to be used; shall make rules for the control, within their respective jurisdictions, of school library media centers and approve the selection of books and other educational media therefor, and shall approve plans for public school buildings and superintend any high or graded school in the manner specified in this title.

(b) Not later than July 1, 1985, each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies concerning homework, attendance, promotion and retention. The Department of Education shall make available model policies and guidelines to assist local and regional boards of education in meeting the responsibilities enumerated in this subsection.

(c) Boards of education may prescribe rules to impose sanctions against pupils who damage or fail to return textbooks, library materials or other educational materials. Said boards may charge pupils for such damaged or lost textbooks, library materials or other educational materials and may withhold grades, transcripts or report cards until the pupil pays for or returns the textbook, library book or other educational material.

(d) Not later than July 1, 1991, each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement policies and procedures in conformity with section 10-154a for (1) dealing with the use, sale or possession of alcohol or controlled drugs, as defined in subdivision (8) of section 21a-240, by public school students on school property, including a process for coordination with, and referral of such students to, appropriate agencies, and (2) cooperating with law enforcement officials.

(e) Not later than July 1, 1990, each local and regional board of education shall adopt a written policy and procedures for dealing with youth suicide prevention and youth suicide attempts. Each such board of education may establish a student assistance program to identify risk factors for youth suicide, procedures to intervene with such youths, referral services and training for teachers and other school professionals and students who provide assistance in the program.

(f) Not later than September 1, 1998, each local and regional board of education shall develop, adopt and implement written policies and procedures to encourage parent-teacher communication. These policies and procedures may include monthly newsletters, required regular contact with all parents, flexible parent-teacher conferences, drop-in hours for parents, home visits and the use of technology such as homework hot lines to allow parents to check on their children’s assignments and students to get assistance if needed. For the school year commencing July 1, 2010, and each school year thereafter, such policies and procedures shall require the district to conduct two flexible parent-teacher conferences for each school year.

(1949 Rev., S. 1479; P.A. 78-218, S. 146; P.A. 80-32, S. 2, 3; P.A. 81-257, S. 3, 10; P.A. 82-137, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-275, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-499, S. 14, 34; P.A. 89-168, S. 2; P.A. 90-133, S. 2; P.A. 97-290, S. 14, 29; P.A. 03-76, S. 17; P.A. 06-196, S. 64; P.A. 10-32, S. 28; 10-111, S. 29.)

History: P.A. 78-218 substituted “public school buildings” for “schoolhouses”; P.A. 80-32 substituted “library media centers” for “libraries” and included reference to “other educational media” to reflect increased scope of libraries; P.A. 81-257 added Subsec. (b) authorizing boards to prescribe rules to impose sanctions against pupils who damage or fail to return textbooks and library and other educational materials; P.A. 82-137 made permissive rather than mandatory the adoption of rules to impose sanctions against pupils who fail to return or damage textbooks; P.A. 84-275 added new Subsec. (b) re written policies concerning homework, attendance, promotion and retention, relettering former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c); P.A. 87-499 added new Subsec. (d) concerning policies and procedures re alcohol and controlled drugs; P.A. 89-168 added Subsec. (e) requiring each local and regional board of education to adopt a written policy and procedures for dealing with youth suicide prevention and youth suicide attempts; P.A. 90-133 in Subsec. (d) extended the deadline for the implementation of policies and procedures from July 1, 1988, to July 1, 1991, and added that the procedures include a process for coordination with appropriate agencies; P.A. 97-290 added Subsec. (f) re parent-teacher communication, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (e), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes in Subsec. (d), effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 10-111 amended Subsec. (f) by adding provision re 2 flexible parent-teacher conferences per school year, effective July 1, 2010.

Board of education is agent of the state and not of the town in maintenance and management of public schools. 19 CS 158. Cited. 29 CS 397; 30 CS 63; 35 CS 55.