HULL — September 8, 2026 — The School Committee waived its own three-reading rule to enact a Protect Act policy in one night, bringing Hull into compliance with a state law that required one by September 1, and adopted a five-year strategic plan running through 2031. Two further policies — the bell-to-bell device ban already in force and a rewritten social media policy — cleared first readings.
The Full Story
The Protect Act was signed August 5 and gave districts until September 1 to have a policy in place. Hull had no meeting in that window, and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees took about two weeks after signing to publish a model policy. Superintendent Michael Jette asked the committee to waive the three readings, enact the MASC language as written, and send it to the policy subcommittee for tightening afterward. Asked what happens if it were held over, he said: “We are then not compliant with the law that was passed.” The policy governs how the district responds when authorities come to a school building in connection with civil action. It passed unanimously.
Aleeza Hagerty said the model language is wordy and refers to offices Hull does not have — an executive director’s office among them — and that narrowing it to Hull’s actual structure is the subcommittee’s job.
The strategic plan arrived as the meeting’s set piece. It came out of seven three-hour sessions of an 18-member committee of staff, students, parents and community members, running from after April vacation to July, built on staff, parent and student surveys conducted April 30 to May 6 and a full day of listening sessions. The plan sets a new mission statement, a three-word vision — community, confidence and curiosity — and six core values: respect, inclusion, endurance, safety, curiosity and belonging. Four focus areas are arranged on a compass, with teaching and learning at true north, engagement and partnerships east, community and culture west, and budget, finance, technology and facilities as the southern foundation. The only amendment requested from the floor was a missing period on the first slide.
The device policy, proposed as J-I-C-I, is a complete restriction: phones, earbuds, smart watches and any wearable must be off and away from 7:20 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., with high school students using assigned lockers. Personal laptops are out as well — students use district Chromebooks. A first offense means confiscation and a warning; a second, a parent pickup and a written warning; a third adds an after-school detention, with progressive discipline beyond that. It is already operating. The high school principal told the committee the announcement to juniors and seniors drew “a combination of boos and clapping,” and that two phones had been turned in to the office in the first three days.
“If we view this as taking something away from students, we’re going to fail. If we view this as giving students something, which is that gift of presence, that gift of engagement, we’re going to be more successful in the way we pull this off.” — Superintendent Michael Jette
Jette also acknowledged the rollout was communicated to parents later than he would have liked, citing a state bell-to-bell bill he expected to be law by June and a principal’s resignation over the summer.
