The committee approved updates to the Program of Studies that add a state‑driven personal financial literacy requirement for juniors, new elective courses, and expanded dual‑enrollment offerings with UMass Lowell and Middlesex Community College; handbook and graduation‑requirement policy changes will proceed through subcommittees.
After debate over Good Friday, bargaining impacts and public review, the committee’s roll‑call vote rejected the proposed 2026–27 school calendar; members voted to place the calendar on the next meeting agenda for further public input and resolution.
The committee approved dedications recognizing long-serving educator Mr. Dougherty and Superintendent Joe Crowley, voted to add supporting letters to the public record and noted a member’s recusal from the Crowley vote to avoid an appearance of impropriety.
The committee authorized the chair to seek city council placement for an MSBA Statement of Interest to pursue a combined North Woburn school; resources subcommittee flagged buffer-zone policy work to address capacity with a goal for March completion and asked the committee to clarify a request to name a conference room after the late Joe Crowley (official vote deferred).
After public testimony and staff presentations, the Woburn School Committee voted 5–1 to institute buffer ("gray") zones for elementary school assignments in 2026–27, grandfathering current students and applying new maps only to new enrollments; committee deferred middle-school changes until next year.
The committee approved an assistant principal position at Alta Vista Elementary, heard a resources-and-capital presentation stressing energy-efficiency for the new North Woburn/Alta Vista project and learned student services face long out-of-district wait lists and staffing vacancies.
After legal and procedural debate, the School Committee voted to decline certain proposed updates to AC/ACR nondiscrimination language, approved ACA protections by voice vote, and tabled an ACAB sexual-harassment policy pending legal review to avoid conflicts with Title IX grievance procedures.
Public commenters urged the district for more interactive paraprofessional training and realistic safety drills, parents and CPAC members supported buffer zones in redistricting and asked the district to expand therapy-dog programs; the committee approved a motion to explore therapy dogs district-wide.
The Woburn School Committee approved an updated competency-determination policy that replaces MCAS as the CD measure, specifies coursework and multiple mastery pathways, adds a U.S. history requirement starting with the class of 2027, and establishes an appeals process; the document will be submitted to DESE.
The School Committee voted unanimously to accept school improvement plans from the district’s elementary schools after principals presented goals for reading growth, math curriculum implementation and instructional leadership teams.
