Lowell School Committee Subcommittee Sends Section B Policy Updates to Full Board

LOWELL — June 23, 2025 — Lowell School Committee's policy subcommittee advances Section B governance updates to the full board. The policy and governance subcommittee voted 2-0 at its June 23 meeting to send a package of Section B policy revisions to the full School Committee for a first read, expected at the July 15 regular meeting. Alicia Malon of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees led members Chair Pearson Dary and Mel Rossi through roughly two dozen policy files, recommending adoption of updated MASC model language on topics including executive sessions, electronic messaging, public participation, and school councils. Among accepted changes: a member compensation policy that removes the specific $12,000 annual stipend figure and instead ties pay to whatever amount the City Council has voted, avoiding the need for future policy revisions when pay changes. The subcommittee flagged two items — meeting procedure details and a potential cap on total public comment time — for discussion by the full seven-member committee, citing a 2023 court ruling that significantly narrowed a school committee's authority to cut off public speakers.