Watertown Schools Restructure Special Ed Staffing, Standardize Grading for Fall

WATERTOWN — May 18, 2026 — Watertown School Committee hears improvement plans with major special education and grading overhauls for 2026-27. At a May 18 meeting at Lowell Elementary School, principals from Watertown Middle School and Watertown High School presented school improvement plans calling for restructured special education staffing, standardized grading practices — including a requirement that homework count toward grades — and overhauled IEP communication protocols. The middle school principal announced special educators will shift from supporting all four core content areas to focusing on math and ELA only, a change intended to ensure every IEP student has their caseload manager present in at least one class. High school principal Joel reported that the Doorman phone-management system had achieved over 90 percent weekly compliance following a refresh four weeks ago, with a full phone-lockdown version expected in September. Multiple residents cited the state Determination Matrix and the Athena K-12 report during public forum, alleging the district is out of legal compliance on IEPs and 504 plans; one speaker demanded a vote of no confidence in the Director of Student Services. Committee Chair Lisa Kapoja said a first-year implementation plan for the district's special education improvement strategy will be presented at the June 22 School Committee meeting.