Hatfield School Committee Ratifies Two Union Contracts, Approves Both School Handbooks

HATFIELD -- August 17, 2022, Hatfield School Committee ratifies two union contracts and opens debate on preschool admissions overhaul. The committee voted unanimously at its August 17 meeting to ratify an ESP contract retroactive to July 1, 2022, running through June 30, 2025, and an HTA contract covering September 1, 2022, through August 31, 2025, both within the district's approved budget. Chair Christy Boudreau thanked town negotiating representative David Pierre, whose institutional knowledge she called critical to the process; Pierre noted the HTA had ratified both contracts unanimously before the committee meeting. The board also unanimously approved both the Hatfield Elementary and Smith Academy student handbooks, cleared a housekeeping update to the Title I parent involvement policy, and took a first reading of a revised preschool admissions policy that would formalize an April 1 lottery deadline, an August 31 age cutoff, and annual reapplication requirements for non-resident families, with a second reading scheduled for September 18.