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Votes at a glance: robotics trips approved; Jan. 6 minutes and 2025 subcommittee assignments approved
Summary
At its Jan. 27 meeting the Watertown School Committee approved robotics field trips that include an out-of-state event, approved Jan. 6 meeting minutes and approved 2025 subcommittee assignments. The committee also adjourned to an executive session earlier in the meeting to discuss collective bargaining strategy.
The Watertown School Committee on Jan. 27 approved three formal items on the agenda: robotics field trips (including travel to an out-of-state event), approval of the Jan. 6 meeting minutes and 2025 subcommittee assignments. Earlier in the meeting the committee adjourned to an executive session to discuss collective bargaining strategy.
Robotics field trips: The committee approved the robotics trips after staff described a district championship trip to Springfield and an additional district event in Vermont that required an extra night of travel. Coach Travis Norris said the Vermont event followed a regional distribution process and that families are being asked to contribute toward the additional expenses, with scholarships available: "We're asking families to contribute... we're offering scholarships to students and anyone who is having trouble paying for that, we're working with those families," he said. Committee members asked logistics and funding questions, including why district vans were not being used for overnight travel; staff explained vans cannot be used overnight. The motion to approve passed by roll call.
Approval of minutes and subcommittee assignments: The committee approved the Jan. 6 meeting minutes and voted to adopt the chair's recommended 2025 subcommittee assignments (athletics and extracurriculars; budget and finance; buildings and grounds; curriculum; policy), each by roll call.
Executive session: At the start of the meeting the committee voted to adjourn to executive session "to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body," then returned to open session later in the agenda. The transcript records the roll call announcing the executive session adjournment.
Votes at a glance - Motion: Approve robotics field trips (including Springfield district championship and Vermont district event). Outcome: approved (roll-call recorded). Mover/second: not specified in transcript; committee directed staff to provide scholarships for families in need. - Motion: Approve Jan. 6 meeting minutes. Outcome: approved (roll-call recorded). Mover/second: not specified in transcript. - Motion: Approve 2025 subcommittee assignments. Outcome: approved (roll-call recorded). Mover/second: not specified in transcript. - Action: Adjourn to executive session to discuss collective bargaining strategy. Outcome: adjourned (roll-call recorded).
The meeting record shows roll-call votes for the formal approvals; the transcript lists committee members voting "Yes" during each roll call. The committee did not record any "no" or ‘‘abstain" votes on those items in the available transcript excerpts.
