School board approves flag policy; warns discrimination complaint policy for March
February 17, 2022 | By Lisa Scagliotti 
Flags fly at each of the HUUSD school campuses including this one in front of Crossett Brook Middle School in Duxbury. File photo by Gordon Miller
The HUUSD School Board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a new policy regarding flying special flags other than the U.S. and Vermont flags on school grounds.
The voice vote was taken at the Feb. 16 meeting where the board also approved other revised policies on a number of topics. The group included all members but Scott Culver of Waterbury.
Prior to the vote, board member Theresa Membrino of Fayston asked Superintendent Brigid Nease to comment on requests to fly flags that might represent political speech. The new policy lays out steps for special flag requests that require the superintendent to review the request first before sending it to the full school board for a decision.
Nease noted that schools are prohibited by law from displaying political messaging such as signs for candidates running for office or for political parties. Board Chair Torrey Smith asked whether the term “political” needed to be defined in the policy. Nease said she didn’t believe it was necessary.
Nease noted that the process in the policy is very specific, so when a request is considered, those reviewing it could consult with a lawyer or the Vermont School Boards Association for guidance if necessary.
The policy is on pages 22-24 of the board’s Feb. 16 meeting packet.
The school board also noted that an additional draft policy needed to be warned for public comment and then scheduled for approval at its next regular meeting on March 23. A policy labeled F11 in the meeting packet pertains to grievance procedures for students and staff regarding complaints of discrimination based on disability. The policy is a revision and required for the school district to have in place, Smith explained.
That policy is on pages 25-27 of the Feb. 16 meeting packet.
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Original post / February 16, 2022
School board considers flag policy in final regular meeting before election
At its meeting tonight, the Harwood Unified Union School District School Board will consider adopting a host of new school policies – including a new policy regarding flying flags other than the U.S. and Vermont flags at schools – at what will be its final regular meeting with the current board members in place.
The board’s meeting information packet online at HUUSD.org contains draft policies on a range of housekeeping topics including job descriptions, professional development, background checks, personnel files, substitute teachers, drug and alcohol testing for transportation employees, and procedures for filing grievances related to disability issues.
While most of the policies up for approval focus on typical topics of school district operations, the flag policy represents a new subject for the board to address. The board decided it needed to create a policy after the question of whether to fly the Black Lives Matter flag came up in June 2020. Discussion of the issue began as the school district formed the Task Force for Anti-Racism that summer as national attention to racism increased following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minnesota. Around the same time questions were raised regarding how school officials addressed a complaint that alleged racial harassment of a student.
The task force led by school principals Tom Drake and Sarah Schoolcraft has been working since with staff across the district to consider racism in the school community and how to incorporate anti-racism practices into many aspects of school culture. An initial step was to request flying the Black Lives Matter flag, a step that was put on hold for a variety of reasons including timing, the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire to build wider school community support. It also raised the issue of the district needing an overall policy regarding flying special flags under which such a request could be considered.
The policy has been under review and in a draft stage for months with school board committee members getting input from members of the anti-racism task force, Harwood Union High School students and community members active in anti-racism organizations.
Some of the key elements of the policy are:
In addition to the U.S. flag and the Vermont state flag, school district flagpoles would not fly more than two other flags at any time
Requests to fly a special flag are to be made to the superintendent who would review them to determine if they comply with the policy and then forward to the school board for approval.
Requests would be made for a period of four months with the option to renew a request for longer.
Requests would need “a rationale that explains how the proposed flag supports the HUUSD vision, goals and student learning outcomes.”
Requests would need a faculty sponsor and student support.
In addition, proposed flags are to be lawful and not in violation of school policies. They also cannot contain messages that are considered hate speech or are otherwise “libelous, defamatory, obscene, lewd, vulgar, or profane.” Also not allowed are flags that are commercial in nature or subject to copyright or royalty rights or flags that might interfere with school operations or programs.
Drake said the school task force group reviewed the draft in December and made a few minor suggestions.
“We agreed that the wording of the policy is sound,” he said.
Looking ahead, the task force also discussed a revised request to raise the BLM flag. “Members all agreed that taking the time to really poll our students, especially our BIPOC students, with an emphasis on intent versus impact, needs to happen before we would make a request to raise the BLM flag,” Drake explained.
All of the policies up for review and approval tonight are contained in the board’s information packet online at HUUSD.org.
Board’s makeup shifts soon
The March 1 Town Meeting Day election ballot has seven of the board’s 14 seats up for decisions by voters in five of the school district’s six communities. So far five candidates have stepped up to run for those openings, three who made it to be on the ballot, and two who have announced write-in candidacies.
The school board positions to be decided by the voters are:
In Waterbury, a full three-year term and two remaining years in another term. Board members Caitlin Hollister and Scott Culver are stepping down. Victoria Taravella is on the ballot running for the full term. After no candidate filed to run for the two-year seat, write-in candidate Jacqueline Kelleher has come forward interested in that spot.
In Duxbury, Torrey Smith who has served as board chair for the past year is not running for re-election. No one has filed to run for her seat. Meanwhile, Cindy Senning, who holds the other Duxbury seat after being appointed last summer, is running unopposed to serve out the remaining year on that term.
Neither of the Moretown board seats are on the ballot this year.
Seats in Fayston, Warren and Waitsfield are to be decided by voters. The Fayston seat held by board vice chair Tim Jones does not have a declared candidate. In Waitsfield, Roberta “Bobbi” Rood is on the ballot for the seat being vacated by Jeremy Tretiak. Warren board member Jonathan Clough is stepping down at the end of his term and although no candidate filed by the deadline to be on the ballot, write-in candidate Ellen Kucera has come forward interested in that seat.
The board has one more meeting before March 1, its annual meeting which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 28 as a Zoom meeting where standard district business items are handled and a presentation will be made on the $42.6 million proposed school budget. That represents an increase of 5.6% over school spending for the current year.
In addition to the budget, a second school item on the Town Meeting Day ballot asks voters to authorize putting $1.5 million into the district’s maintenance fund.
Details for the Feb. 28 meeting are on the HUUSD.org home page.