School Committee Adopts Three New Policies

School Committee · Meeting of September 24, 2026

Ashburnham-Westminster School Committee adopts three state-required policies with little real-world change. The panel voted unanimously to adopt updated policies on internet use, student restraint, and interactions with civil immigration enforcement, the last requiring any outside law-enforcement request to question a student to go through Superintendent Stewart's office, absent a judicial warrant. Stewart said the district already met the new restraint and immigration standards, calling the update "much to do about nothing, but probably a good one to have." He also reported a persistent bus driver shortage forcing combined routes, saying "it is drivers in seats" and vowing to "unapologetically advocate for this district." The district runs 23 buses and eight vans daily.

The committee separately heard the school's new bell-to-bell phone ban has produced "very few issues" a month into the year.

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Source: the School Committee meeting of September 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.