Subcommittee approves Worcester Public Schools 2026–27 student handbook with minor amendments

Worcester — The school subcommittee approved the district’s proposed 2026–27 student handbook on May 4 after administration said the changes were largely clarifying language and compliance updates.

Administration presented the handbook with redlined changes and said there are no major policy shifts; one new addition is a statement of commitment copied from the district website. Danielle Collins, the district’s director of school nutrition, told the committee that the handbook language includes recently required anti‑bullying provisions. "This is actually legislation that's now required. It's actually meant to protect students," Collins said, adding that the updates put existing practice into the handbook to ensure compliance.

Members pressed for details on specific additions. A committee member asked why a new unenrollment policy was added and whether it differed from mobility procedures; administration said the policy clarifies how a student is formally unenrolled from Worcester Public Schools and includes separate processes for pre‑K, kindergarten and grades 1–12. A member also asked about a new attendance clarification for nonresident students on J‑1 visas; administration said the language specifies attendance expectations for international students who enroll under those visas and is not intended to change rules for district residents.

The group also adjusted emergency‑planning wording to explicitly include visitors, and revised language to describe protections for students living in "safety‑restricted households" so that addresses are not disclosed. During discussion about cafeteria procedures, a committee member voiced concern that handbook language might be read to allow public identification of students who have unpaid meal balances; Collins and administration both said the district does not and will not publicly identify students for unpaid meals and that the handbook statement clarifies that.

A last‑minute formatting amendment — to emphasize the sentence reading "no agent, employee, or volunteer..." — was proposed and incorporated. The subcommittee voted to approve and file the handbook with that amendment; the roll call showed affirmative votes from the maker of the motion, Vice Chair McCullough and Chairperson Johnson.

The handbook will be posted and distributed to families ahead of the next school year; administration said families may sign electronically via ParentSquare or return a physical signature page.