Watertown panel advances religious holiday policy

School Committee · Meeting of March 31, 2026

WATERTOWN — The Watertown School Committee's Policy Subcommittee voted unanimously to send revised religious observance and building-access policies to the full committee. Members struck the word "reasonable" from several provisions governing makeup work, agreeing students "who are absent from school due to religious observance will not be penalized for that absence." The revised access policy, prompted by a state and Attorney General briefing on schools and immigration, newly defines school grounds to include buses and bus stops and restricts building access to those with "legitimate school-related business." Members also agreed to require the School Committee to formally vote on major religious holidays each year when adopting the school calendar, and asked the district's attorney, Colby, to draft signage language for school events held on public streets. Both policies now head to the full committee for a first reading.

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Source: the School Committee meeting of March 31, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.