Committee suspends policy to appoint sophomore to student advisory committee after recruitment shortfall

The Westford School Committee on Oct. 21 temporarily suspended a policy to allow the appointment of a sophomore, rather than a freshman, to a vacant student advisory committee seat and approved the appointment by a 5–2 vote.

Policy 7307 (suspension of policies) allows the committee to temporarily suspend policy by two-thirds vote; the committee invoked that authority to suspend policy 5406 (which requires a student advisory committee composition that includes one member from each grade) for the 2025–26 year. The motion named the appointee as Shreya Carmarker; "with the motion and the second, we will say all in favor. So that's a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And against 5 to 2," a committee member read aloud as the result.

Nut graf: Committee members said administrators had attempted to recruit a freshman for the seat but were unsuccessful; committee members and student leaders described several outreach steps they will take going forward, including presentations to eighth graders and coordination with student government groups to improve recruitment for future years.

The committee clarified that the appointment will be reviewed at the next regularly scheduled meeting, per the suspension policy, and asked the student advisory and student senate leaders to focus their year on representing all grade levels and connecting with student government and eighth-grade civics classes to boost awareness about opportunities.

Ending: The temporary appointment fills the board’s student advisory vacancy for the school year; the committee directed staff and student leaders to increase recruitment efforts so the policy requirement can be met in future years.