Westwood proposes half‑day preschool schedule to open space for students with disabilities; committee approves 3% tuition increase

Superintendent Tim (role: Superintendent) told the Westwood School Committee on Jan. 16 that the district is proposing a structural change to the Westwood Integrated Preschool for the 2025–26 school year to open more seats for students with disabilities.

The proposal would move new preschool entrants to four‑ or five‑day half‑day sessions of 2.5 hours (morning 8:45–11:15 or afternoon 12:00–2:30) while continuing to offer full‑day, five‑day placements for children with more severe special education needs. Tim said the change is intended to work “within the current physical space and staffing model” and to reduce the district’s need to request class‑size waivers from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Why it matters: Westwood has only three preschool classrooms and has repeatedly exceeded class‑size guidance for preschool special education services. Tim said the district has had to request state waivers because enrollment of students with IEPs has risen mid‑year in past years; the administration wants to increase capacity for students entitled to services while avoiding a split program across different town…