Littleton School Committee Votes to Consolidate Non-Discrimination Policies Into Single Document

LITTLETON -- September 15, 2022, Littleton School Committee unanimously adopts consolidated non-discrimination policy over public objections from disability advocates. The committee voted 5-0 Thursday to rescind four existing policies, including ACE, which specifically addressed disability protections, and replace them with a single AC policy covering all protected categories, a change recommended by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and reviewed by outside legal counsel. Kostya Kadystyan of 8 Scott Road, co-chair of the district's Special Education Parent Advisory Council, urged the committee to retain the ACE policy, arguing its specificity around Section 504 and ADA compliance provides families with clearer guidance and that "removing language from policies which define specific protections for people with disabilities is an act that disempowers those with disabilities." Superintendent Kelly Clancy said a former federal discrimination investigator reviewed the change and confirmed "there are no changes in practice, there's no pulling of resources." The committee also heard that five or six educational assistant positions remain unfilled, including three at the high school, and received the year's first financial report showing roughly $2 million expended against a budget the district is monitoring for natural gas and fuel cost overruns.