Watertown School Subcommittee Advances Three Policies, Tables Restraint Overhaul

WATERTOWN — June 8, 2026 — Watertown's School Committee Policy Subcommittee advanced three policies Monday and tabled a fourth pending legal review. The panel unanimously approved sending a new staff social media policy (IJNDD), a triennial wellness policy update (ADF/ADFA), and a consolidated religious expression policy (IMB) to the full School Committee for first readings. Attorney Marianne Peters of Murphy, Lemire, and Murphy presented sweeping changes to the district's timeout and seclusion rules required by state regulations taking effect August 17 — including a narrowed definition of seclusion, mandatory prior parental consent before any emergency seclusion, and new physician and mental health documentation requirements — but the subcommittee continued that item to allow comparison of two competing model policies. The wellness update, driven by a SWITCH framework assessment scoring the district's policy strength at 59 out of 100 and implementation at 70 out of 100, added language on farm-to-school programming, minimum cafeteria seat times, and staff wellness initiatives including yoga and meditation programming.