Watertown School Committee Unanimously Approves Interim Student Services Director Amid Public Outcry

School Committee · Meeting of July 27, 2026

Watertown School Committee unanimously approves interim student services director and creates new oversight subcommittee. The July 27 meeting at Lowell Elementary School opened with six public commenters presenting a 2019 Watertown Educators Association survey documenting complaints about the district's student services department, with parents Ryan and Jennifer Nicholson and resident Corinne Seagreeve arguing the survey had been forwarded to every member of the 2019 school committee and never acted upon. Superintendent Galston, acknowledging the criticism before her year-end report, said "I know that harm has been done" and "I'm truly sorry for what you've been through." The committee then voted 7-0 to approve Kristen Bufri as interim director of student services, selected through a 14-member advisory committee that screened 14 applicants and interviewed five, and voted unanimously to create an ad hoc subcommittee on student services required to meet at least six times per year and report to the full committee three times annually.

A proposed amendment expanding the subcommittee's scope to include oversight of "the general performance of the student services department" was defeated 4 to 3. The committee also approved a $573,000 FY26 year-end fund transfer and placed on the August 17 agenda a vote on whether to hold a three-hour public listening session for families with special education experiences.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,705 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.