Weymouth School Committee Reopens Program of Studies, Capstone Vote Deferred to May 23

WEYMOUTH — May 9, 2024 — Weymouth School Committee reopens program of studies, setting up a May 23 vote on eliminating the capstone graduation requirement. The committee voted unanimously Thursday to reopen the Weymouth High School Program of Studies, which had been approved February 1, 2024, after a member argued that no comparable South Shore district mandates the capstone and that the requirement generates student anxiety without measurable academic benefit. A second motion to remove the capstone effective immediately failed on a 2-2 split, with members saying they wanted more time and community input before voting. The district also faces an official FY25 budget shortfall of $1,873,359 and enrollment projections requiring four additional classrooms by 2028. The committee approved the FY25 fee schedule, substitute pay rates, and extended school year rates — including a substitute budget of roughly $1 million supplemented this year by remaining ESSER funds — and heard that a detailed Johnson School reopening plan will be presented at the May 23 meeting targeting a September 2025 opening.