Abington School Committee Approves Wellness Policy, Job Descriptions, and London-Paris Trip

ABINGTON -- May 26, 2026, Abington School Committee approves wellness policy revisions, restructured job descriptions, and a London-Paris student trip while a key literacy curriculum adoption slips another year. Meeting on May 26, the committee voted unanimously to approve a revised district wellness policy, softening language on drinking water filtration and food celebrations at in-school parties, along with a new Student Services Specialist job description to replace retiring Administrative Assistant Deb Keough, three updated Unit B staff job descriptions, and two new evaluation rubrics developed through a joint labor-management process with AEA Unit B members. Superintendent Dr. Christine Michela announced that the district's five-year IXL subscription, purchased with roughly $150,000 in federal ESSER funds, will not be renewed when it expires in September, as an annual renewal would cost $50,000 to $60,000 not available in the budget. On the K-5 English Language Arts curriculum review backed by roughly $300,000 in combined PRISM 2 grant and town meeting funds, Michela told the committee the HMH Into Reading pilot was disqualified mid-pilot after the state's Curate review body found the program did not meet state standards, pushing the adoption timeline to FY27 with a new purchase deadline of June 30, 2027. The committee voted unanimously to approve a London-Paris student trip proposed by Wellness Director Daisy for February 2028 at an estimated cost of approximately $5,900 per student, and approved Dr. Michela's annual evaluation with three standards rated Exemplary and an overall rating of Proficient.