Westford committee debates graduation requirement changes after public outcry; first reading waived

Westford — The Westford School Committee on Monday heard extended public comment and a lengthy committee discussion about draft policy P6110, a proposed update to graduation requirements for Westford Academy that would reduce required physical education/health credits from 12.5 to 10 credits and make other changes. Committee members voted to waive the policy’s first reading so the draft can be posted for public comment.

The request to reject the change came from several Westford Academy staff and students during public comment. “We ask you please vote down the graduation requirement proposal which reduces PE and health education,” said Melanie Jazokos, who identified herself as a member of the Westford Academy physical education, health and wellness department. Pat Gendron, another presenter from the department, described the PE and health curriculum as “necessary and critical to the development of the whole child.” Student speaker Elizabeth Chilicky said cutting the department would “be a disservice to current and future students.”

The debate centered on three linked proposals in the draft: whether to combine PE and health (particularly for grade 9), whether to increase the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) requirement toward the MassCore recommendation of a full year, and whether to reduce the minimum credits required in grade 12 from 32.5 to 30 to give seniors more schedule flexibility.

Why it matters: Committee members and public commenters framed the issues as tradeoffs between academic flexibility and student wellness. Several members said PE and VPA classes play roles in students’ social-emotional health and that reducing PE/health requirements risks removing a scheduled break in students’ days. Supporters of increased flexibility said changing the grade-12 minimum would relieve scheduling pressure for students who otherwise must choose between electives and high‑demand academic courses.

Committee discussion and clarifications Committee members repeatedly said the draft did not remove health instruction and that multiple implementation models were under consideration. One working-group recommendation discussed at the meeting was to combine PE and health for grade 9 so that the two subjects would be delivered together; another model under consideration would have students take a stand‑alone health course in either grade 9 or 10 and meet the PE requirement in another semester.

Committee member Kevin (identified in the record only by first name) summarized the committee’s position: eliminating health “was never part of this or a discussion or any proposal that was put in front of this committee.” The group also discussed clarifying language in the draft about a footnote that reads, in part, “4 semesters of PE are required unless excused in writing by a physician,” which had caused confusion among staff and parents about whether health instruction would be retained. Several members asked policy subcommittee staff to rewrite the table in the draft so it clearly shows how credits would be applied by year.

References to outside guidance and timing Members referenced MassCore and DESE guidance in the discussion. Committee members noted that MassCore recommends a full year’s equivalent (commonly interpreted as five credits) for arts and that some neighboring districts already require a full year of VPA. One member noted that DESE’s MassCore FAQ states that a semester can meet a yearlong equivalent depending on how a district awards credit.

Public comment and next steps Public comment on the draft will be open online; the committee recorded a public‑comment posting window in the meeting as April 15–30. The committee voted to waive the first reading of draft policy P6110 so that the policy can be posted for that public comment period and returned for further discussion at the April 28 meeting. The motion to waive the first reading was moved by Tom (committee member) and seconded by Laurie (committee member) and approved by voice vote.

The policy will return to the committee for further discussion at subsequent meetings. Committee members said they hoped to provide clearer draft language before the next public meeting so the public and departments understand whether and how health content will be delivered under any new credit structure.