Subcommittee backs delaying middle school start time
Watertown's Athletics and Extracurricular Subcommittee voted to delay the middle school's return to an 8:30 a.m. start time for another year.
School Committee · Meeting of February 25, 2026
Watertown's Athletics and Extracurricular Subcommittee voted to delay the middle school's return to an 8:30 a.m. start time for another year. Members Lisa Kapocha, Rachel Kay and Amy Donahue voted 3-0 to recommend keeping the 7:45 a.m. start through the 2026-2027 school year while construction continues on the Victory Field Oval. Athletic Director Ryan Murphy said losing the Oval could push some high school practices to "9:15" p.m. without it.
The panel also unanimously recommended reinstating athletic and extracurricular fees, with staff projecting $111,400 under 2024 fee levels or $143,550 under a proposed increase to $250 for a first sport and $200 for a second. A staff member known in the meeting only as Didi said the district remains "very clear" it will return to the 8:30 a.m. start for FY27.
In the full story:
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Source: the School Committee meeting of February 25, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
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