Weymouth School Committee Approves Attendance Policies, Advances Safety Action Plan

WEYMOUTH -- January 18, 2024, Weymouth School Committee approves attendance-area policies and hears coordinated Unit D contract demands at contentious January meeting. The committee voted unanimously to adopt policies JC and JCA on their third reading, clearing the way for kindergarten registration, which Superintendent Robert Wargo said would open the following day with an April 1 application deadline. Wargo also pushed back on claims that more than 100 staff had left the district since July 1, putting the actual figure at 63 departures out of 1,031 employees, or 6.1 percent, roughly in line with state averages. More than a dozen Unit D Educational Support Professionals told the committee during public comment that starting ESP pay of $19,630 per year is below the poverty level for Norfolk County and pressed the panel to guarantee living wages, mentorship, paid parental leave, and year-round job security, with negotiations now more than 139 days without a contract. WEA President Mike Murphy separately demanded the policy subcommittee honor a previously scheduled February 5 safety meeting with union representatives. Committee member Steve submitted a resignation letter effective March 1, citing a new job demanding longer hours; the chair said a public application process to fill the balance of his two-year term would be posted the following day.