Watertown Public Schools — Day-to-day

Watertown's day-to-day policy work over the past school year opened in August 2025 with two compliance-focused revisions. The School Committee unanimously approved updates to Policy ACAC (Title IX) that revert to the 2020 federal regulatory framework after the 2024 changes were vacated by courts, and it expanded background-check Policy ADDA to require Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) checks for all prospective employees and volunteers. In November 2025, the Committee added new Policy ECAF defining when Watertown Police will activate body cameras on school grounds, developed with the Police Department, and requested a June implementation report tied to the onboarding of new School Resource Officers.

Through early 2026, attention shifted to daily operations. In February, the District removed full YouTube access from student-issued Chromebooks, letting teachers embed approved content in Google Classroom instead of allowing general site access. In March, the Committee voted 4-2 to keep Watertown Middle School's 7:45 a.m. start for one more year, delaying the planned 8:30 a.m. shift to fall 2027 because of field-access constraints from the Victory Oval reconstruction, and separately voted unanimously to skip the Massachusetts School Choice program for 2026-2027 given strong enrollment and no financial need. In April, the Committee raised optional transportation fees to $500 per student with a $750 family cap for FY27.

The two most consequential student-facing rules arrived together at the May 4, 2026 meeting, both adopted unanimously. New Policy JICI institutes a districtwide K-12 bell-to-bell restriction on personal electronic devices, with exceptions for documented medical or disability needs under IEPs, 504 Plans, or health plans. New Policy IMC sets district expectations for excused absences, academic accommodations, and extracurricular participation tied to students' religious observances.