**BGA - POLICY DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM** **Last Updated Date:** 11/26/2013 **Adoption Date:** 01/10/2006 A School Committee is given extensive powers under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with regard to the governance and control of education within the school district. The School Committee exercises these powers most effectively when it functions as a policy‑making body, establishing basic guidelines for discretionary action on the part of the superintendent of Schools and his/her staff. 1. The School Committee will function as a policy‑making body with regard to the educational affairs of the school district. 2. Policies (or changes in policies) presented to the School Committee for consideration will be numbered and typed according to the established format of the official policy manual. 3. Once adopted, the policy will be inserted in each copy of the official policy manual. 4. A policy can be abrogated by the School Committee. Once abrogated the policy will be removed from all copies of the official policy manual except for the copy officially designated as the "legal‑historical copy" in the School Committee minutes. 5. The superintendent will function under the policy set by the School Committee.  The superintendent has the authority to issue procedures in order to carry out his/her responsibilities. The procedures of the superintendent will not be included in the official policy manual, but will be made available to the School Committee as necessary and whenever requested.