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Westborough trustees approve handbook changes but split over plan to shift to federal calendar
Summary
The Westborough School Committee approved student handbooks that include a new five‑day makeup practice for holiday absences, while trustees debated a proposed two‑year review that could lead to switching to a federal school calendar in 2028‑29. Concerns focused on implementation, equity and how the list of holidays is framed.
The Westborough School Committee on June 10 voted to approve updated student handbooks that incorporate a new homework/holiday practice allowing students up to five days to make up work when they are absent to observe listed holidays.
Superintendent Allison said the change is part of a multi‑year approach developed by the calendar committee to balance classroom time and cultural inclusion. "We’re going to give [students] five days," she said, adding that the policy will be incorporated into student handbooks and accompanied by educator training and clear family communications.
Trustees described the handbook vote as the first step in a longer process. Committee members also discussed a committee recommendation to evaluate, over a two‑year period, whether the district should adopt the federal calendar in 2028‑29. That change would move the district away from its current practice of carving out a long list of observed holidays and toward a model that follows federal holidays unless a later review recommends otherwise.
Several trustees raised concerns about how listing many holidays in the handbook could be perceived externally. One trustee said the list risks sending "a message we do not intend" amid national debates about cultural recognition and that listing specific holidays could be misconstrued as district endorsement. Another trustee warned that asking students or parents to request excused absences could shift the burden of recognition away from the district and onto families who might be reluctant to ask.
Proponents said the list and the five‑day makeup window are intended to be an educational tool so teachers are not surprised when a student needs accommodation. "If teachers aren’t caught by surprise, their reaction is more likely to be supportive," the superintendent said.
The committee directed administrators to build feedback mechanisms during the two‑year trial, including anonymous reporting and recurring check‑ins with students and teachers, to evaluate whether the homework practice is working and whether a calendar change should proceed.
The handbooks — which also include AI guidance, a revised cell‑phone approach and other updates — passed on a 5‑0 vote. The broader recommendation to consider moving to the federal calendar in 2028‑29 remains a committee plan, not an immediate change; trustees emphasized multiple checkpoints and community engagement before any formal calendar adoption.
