The Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical School Committee on March 20 unanimously approved a $58,695,802 fiscal 2026 budget, voted to revert the district's Title IX harassment policy to the 2020 federal standard, and adopted interim changes to graduation competency requirements following the November ballot change to state law.

The actions, taken during a regularly scheduled meeting at Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical School, also included acceptance of a donated vehicle for the automotive technology program, approval of four out-of-state travel requests for staff and coaches, and a reorganization of committee leadership.

Superintendent remarks and staff presentations framed much of the evening's discussion. Tracy Encarnasio, director of school counseling, told the committee the district had revised its Title IX policy to align with the 2020 federal rule after a federal judge challenged the later 2024 guidance. "By law, we have to go with the most current federal guidelines," Encarnasio said as she explained the change and where revised language appears in both the district policy and the student handbook.

Greg Haas, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, outlined changes to the competency-determination (CD) section of the student handbook following the approval of Ballot Question 2. "So that effectively has removed MCAS as the mechanism for a student to earn what DESE calls competency determination," Haas said, and described the interim standard proposed for the class of 2025: passing ninth- and tenth-grade math and English courses plus one of biology, chemistry or physics (five courses total), together with the district's existing local course and credit requirements.

Haas said the district identified 99 former students from 2003 through 2024 who had not earned diplomas because of MCAS requirements and that staff reached out to them and posted a transcript-review form on the district website for eligible students. He also reported there are three current seniors who have not earned a CD through MCAS but who have passed the listed courses and therefore would meet the interim local standard.

The committee approved four out-of-state travel requests. Assistant superintendent/principal Michael Barton presented costs for two electronics instructors — Lehi Williams and Grace Knight — to attend an industry certification course in Manchester, New Hampshire; the stated cost is $3,655.44 per person (tuition $3,395; meals $170; travel $153.44). The committee also approved travel for coach Cassidy and another coach to accompany wrestler Anton Jackman to the National High School Wrestling championships in Virginia Beach March 28–30; the committee recorded the approximate per-person cost at about $3,695 (entry fee $65; flight $1,500; hotel $1,350; meals $780). Barton described a separate request for five members of the school's leadership team to attend the Building Assets and Reducing Risks (BAR) conference in California during April vacation; the listed total cost for five participants was $18,830 (registration $7,250; flights $4,900; hotel $5,000; transportation $500; meals $1,080).

The committee accepted a donation of a 2013 Audi A4 four-door sedan from marketing instructor Stacy Sawyer for use by the automotive technology program; the superintendent described the vehicle's estimated value as $5,000 and said the car will be used for training and then disposed of so components cannot be resold for reuse.

On financial business, the committee waived reading of the warrant and approved expenditures totaling $6,505,717.52. The FY26 budget was presented after a public hearing; during a roll-call vote the committee recorded unanimous approval.

Other routine actions included approval of the February minutes, motions to approve cooperative-education program reports (the superintendent reported 258 seniors of 562 — 46% — and 30 juniors of 547 — 5% — participating in cooperative education), and reorganization of committee officers: Paul Morin was nominated and elected chairman, Curtis LeMay was elected vice chairman, and Reagan Richardson was elected secretary.

All motions taken at the meeting were recorded by the committee as approved with affirmative votes.

The committee indicated the Title IX language and handbook changes will be posted and that the district will monitor DESE's pending successor policy (currently out for public comment) to determine any longer-term adjustments to competency determination and related graduation language.