Whately and Conway School Committees Pass Policy EFD, Skip June Meeting

WHATELY -- May 19, 2026, Whately and Conway School Committees approve policy EFD and defer five new policies to September. Meeting jointly on May 19, the two committees corrected a Whately minutes error that had overstated a classroom flooring appropriation by $10,000, the voted figure was $30,000, not $40,000, confirmed by an email to Town Administrator Veronique and the draft capital warrant. Superintendent Darius presented two months of combined financial warrants totaling $169,096.90 for Conway Grammar School and $133,502.06 for Whately Elementary, with roughly $50,000 remaining to be drawn down through normal end-of-year spending. Five new policies, including a state-mandated overhaul of student timeout and restraint procedures driven by a federal audit of Massachusetts, were introduced for first reading only; the superintendent noted that the new rules prohibit staff from blocking doorways during timeouts, calling it "a lot of clamor across the state." Both committees agreed to forgo a June meeting, with second readings of all five policies set for September. Whately Elementary Principal Chrissy announced that Lola Stone will retire after 37 years of service to the school.