Each local and regional Board of Education in Connecticut is responsible for providing the best possible education to all its students. Boards and their administrators must make complex decisions which respond to the needs of the entire academic community, the best educational practices and theories, and state and federal laws. The school district cannot function effectively within these constraints unless it operates from the basis of sound, carefully deliberated policy.

This manual has been developed specifically for the Scotland Board of Education to help carry out these important responsibilities. The manual is only useful as long as it is up-to-date. Updating is a continuous process. Policies and administrative procedures have been organized in this manual into eight series, an additional series deals with board bylaws. The eight series dealing with the operation of the school system are codified as follows:

 

1. Only the Board has the right and responsibility to adopt policy.
2.  Policy development is never complete. Policy must be reviewed regularly and the Board needs to be open to careful review and change of existing policies.
3. The Board should never make policy under pressure.
4. The actual act of writing policy is a job for one person. A committee cannot actually write policy.
5. When in doubt, talk with an attorney. Your policies may be legally binding.

The development of policy is one of the most important responsibilities of Boards of Education.

 
If any chapter, section, subsection or paragraph of this policy manual shall be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid or inoperative in whole or in part by a court of competent jurisdiction, such chapter, section, subsection or paragraph shall, to the extent that it is not unconstitutional, invalid or inoperative, remain in full force and effect and no such determination shall be deemed to invalidate the remaining chapters, sections, subsections or paragraphs or this policy manual.

In the event that there is any conflict between the Board of Education policy and a mandatory federal or state statute or regulation, such mandatory statute or regulation shall control.