Cell phone use, attendance policies and complaint resolution were among the topics clarified in the new school handbooks, which the School Committee approved at its meeting Thursday.

Hopkins principal Matt Cotter spoke about the “off and away” policy for cell phones, noting that having a policy in place helps with teacher enforcement.

If parents must contact students, he said, they can call the office and the message will be given to the children.

“Off and away seems to be working,” said Hopkinton Middle School principal Matt Lefebvre. Although not a new policy, the principal said he is proud of the decrease in cell phone distractions, “which has led to positive interactions academically and socially.”

Marathon principal Lauren Dubeau said even very young children are texting with smart watches at school. She added that relevant, pending state legislation, if approved, will reinforce what the district is doing.

Lefebvre also outlined the process for parents with concerns to voice them. He said they should reach out to the teacher and schedule an appointment. The principal said parents should refrain from “emails that cast blame before fully understanding the situation,” because they are not helpful and create tension in the student/teacher relationship.

Similarly, athletic director Ricky Andrade talked about conflict resolution protocol in his handbook, noting that to lodge a complaint or discuss an alleged injustice, the first point of contact is the immediate coach, followed by the head coach of the program, eventually reaching him and the principal.

Andrade also noted the attendance policy dictates a student must be in school by the start of the “third block” and remain for the rest of the day to participate in athletics. If the student is not in school on the Friday (by that time) before a weekend event, they are not eligible to participate in the competition.

Interim high school principal Justin Pominville talked about student absences and tardiness, saying school sponsored activities like field trips, athletic activities or academic visits will not be considered absences.

However, students may not be allowed to participate if they have an excessive number of absences and tardies per semester.

On the sixth tardy, students face consequences like restorative practices, highly structured days or detentions.

Subsequent tardies could restrict their opportunities for school-sponsored and extracurricular activities. In addition, juniors and seniors will lose privilege for the remainder of the year on the 10th tardy.

Pominville said his team is trying to “incentivize students to be on time and in school as many days as possible.”

Superintendent Evan Bishop said there now is “opt out” language in handbooks if parents want to excuse their children from content in the curriculum.

Bishop describes entry plan

Bishop gave the board a brief overview of his “entry plan” for this school year. Highlights include from July 2025 to January 2026, conducting school visits and listening sessions, reviewing data and key documents, and having a community survey in the fall.

From January to March 2026, Bishop said he intends to analyze feedback, identify themes and share results with the School Committee, community and staff.

Planned for April to August 2026 is an update on the strategic plan with district leaders and the community, “building on strengths and addressing opportunities for growth.”

“We’re committed to open communication and collaboration and excited to get to work,” Bishop said, “to ensure our students find success at every level, whatever success might look like, and everyone is proud to be part of our school community.”

Bishop said the full plan would be posted on the district’s website.

School start dates set

In other business, the first days of school were announced as follows: Wednesday, Aug. 27, Marathon first graders (8:55 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.); Elmwood/Hopkins (8:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.); HMS and HHS (7:55 a.m. to 2:25 p.m); Thursday, Aug. 28, Marathon kindergarten (8:55 a.m. to 3:20 a.m.); Wednesday, Sept. 3, afternoon pre-K (12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.); and Thursday, Sept. 4, morning pre-K (9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.).

Construction update provided

The committee heard an update on the Hopkins School addition/renovation project, viewing images of a new sidewalk, asphalt and parking lot as well as new ceilings installed in an existing classroom and the media center.

Regarding traffic on the loop road, Chris Eberly, project manager at Vertex, said new parents will be provided with maps, and the traffic patterns largely will be the same as this past school year.

The difference will be less backing up of traffic as parents arrive, Eberly said.

Approvals given for donations, paraprofessional

Dubeau and Lefebvre asked for acceptance of donations for their respective schools. At Marathon, it was for a TouchView Interactive Display Panel from Ocker valued at $2,500. She noted that the equipment was the result of a successful radio station raffle.

At the middle school, Kelly Hibbard donated a violin valued at $1,000. Upon receiving the board’s approval, the principal joked, “That’s music to my ears.”

Jessica Beattie, the new director of student services, requested a full-time paraprofessional C (ABA behavior trained) to meet “an unexpected need” at the middle school. Beattie explained the position would be funded through an IDEA grant and is in “the best interest of the district and student.”

Beattie, who began her role on July 1, transitioned to Hopkinton from Holliston, a district where she worked for 20 years, and said the move has been great so far. Beattie thanked the administrative team for being “supportive and student-centered.”

Bishop agreed, noting, “there is a good vibe and culture with administrators.”