The Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School Joint Operating Committee unanimously approved a first reading of three policy items related to special needs students Thursday, Feb. 6.

The items include a revision to their current special education policy, as well as the addition of new policies for “Discipline of Students with Disabilities” and “Behavior Support.”

Committee members iterated the revision of the special education policy is to ensure it is up-to-date, and does not affect the policy in any significant way.

A second and final reading is slated for the March meeting. If approved, the school’s policy will then reflect the new revision and additions.

Dr. Regina Hiler, executive director of the school, said that policies are recommended on occasion from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. When a policy is needed or wanted, the committee moves to adopt them.

“We don’t always have what all the districts have, but we consult our JOC and our solicitor and sometimes ones we’ve never had, we implement,” Hiler said.

In other business, the board approved a motion to forward the school’s proposed budget for the 2025-2026 school year to participating school boards.

“We’re not approving the budget at this point, we’re approving the ability for the budget to go out to the schools,” Chairman John Conrad clarified.

The motion was approved unanimously.

Hiler will be attending participating school boards’ meetings to present the proposed budget. Afterward, school boards will be able to vote on whether to accept the proposal.

The next Butler Vo-Tech JOC meeting is scheduled for March 6 at 7 p.m.