North Middlesex School Committee Adopts Student Restraint Policy, Accepts Town Fitness Court

School Committee · Meeting of July 29, 2026

TOWNSEND — North Middlesex Regional School District School Committee adopts revised student restraint policy and accepts a town fitness court gift in a compact summer meeting. Meeting on July 29, Chair Lisa Martin presided over two items of business, with all six members present. The committee voted 6 to 0 to adopt revised Policy JKAA, governing timeout, seclusion, and restraint of students, skipping the standard first-reading process to meet an August 17 compliance deadline set by both MASC and the district's special education attorneys.

Special Education Director Erin Upton noted the attorneys' version was chosen over the MASC model because the MASC draft "is more procedures than an actual policy." The committee also voted 5 to 1 on each of three separate motions to accept a fitness court as a gift from the town of Townsend under MGL Chapter 71, Section 37A, enter into a memorandum of agreement with the town, and authorize Martin to sign the agreement on the committee's behalf; member Jackie White cast the dissenting vote on all three fitness court actions without stating a reason on the record. The agreement still requires formal approval from Townsend's Select Board before taking effect.

In the full story:

• Background and Stakes
• The Question Before the Body
• Substantive Content
• The Deliberation
• Procedural Steps and Outcome
• Implications and What Is Next
• The complete report — 1,630 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of July 29, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.