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Committee reauthorizes senior-privileges policy; members note safeguards and low off-campus participation
Summary
The Wareham School Committee reapproved the district’s senior-privileges policy for the coming year, keeping existing eligibility criteria and signaling routine annual reaffirmation; administrators said few seniors routinely leave campus during the permitted periods and outlined safeguards for eligibility and revocation.
The Wareham School Committee voted May 1 to reauthorize its senior-privileges policy for the coming year, the annual administrative action that permits eligible seniors to leave campus during assigned periods under specified conditions.
High-school administrators explained the policy is a privilege, not a right, and that eligibility requires meeting standards in grades, attendance and discipline. Principal Paladino described the procedural steps: students must apply, secure parental permission and maintain eligibility by term; the list of eligible students is reviewed each term and students may petition to regain privileges if they later meet standards.
Committee members asked about frequency of revocations and historical problems. Administrators said revocations occur but are uncommon — typically two to five students in a year lose privileges after failing to meet standards — and they cited rare incidents in prior years in which students were involved in off-campus car accidents while on privileges.
Administrators also said many seniors choose to remain on campus to study rather than leave during the permitted period; high-school leaders said the policy helps keep seniors academically focused through the end of the year and allows incentives, such as not taking finals for students with sufficiently high GPAs.
The committee approved the annual reauthorization by voice vote and did not change the policy language during the session.
