Littleton School Committee Drops Superintendent Search Site Visits, Adopts 2026-27 Calendar

LITTLETON — February 5, 2026 — Littleton School Committee voted 5-0 to adopt the 2026-27 school calendar and accepted nine district policies for a first reading at its February 5 meeting, while agreeing to drop planned out-of-district site visits during the ongoing superintendent search. Chair Justin McCarthy led a lengthy real-time debate over the search timeline, with members ultimately deciding against sending the full committee to visit finalists' home districts — citing inconsistency if not all five could attend — and pushing finalist in-district interviews to a cluster of dates in late March and early April, with a hiring vote targeted for April 9. Director of Teaching and Learning Elizabeth Steele confirmed early release professional development days will return to Wednesdays for 2026-27, with the final school day set for June 21 barring snow days. Director of Student Services Lyn Snow presented a NESDEC report showing out-of-district special education placements fell from 27 students in 2021-22 to an estimated 17 for 2025-26, a trend Superintendent Kelly Clenchy called "quite impressive" and atypical statewide. Three residents also pressed the committee on ICE preparedness and equity in district communication; Clenchy detailed a six-point protocol including a judicial-warrant-only entry policy and said a personal message with resource links would go out to families by Friday.