Swampscott opens schools to the public

SWAMPSCOTT — The School Committee voted unanimously to approve the district’s community use of school facilities policy for the 2024 to 2025 school year.

In addition to regular public school activity, some notable entities the policy authorizes use for are town public hearings and activities, local nonprofit and noncommercial activities, parent-teacher activities, and Swampscott Recreation activities.

“The Swampscott School Committee recognizes that school facilities are valuable community resources and should be available to responsible, organized, local groups when no conflict to school use exists,” the Committee said in a joint statement.

The document also includes a priority list in the event that more than one group is seeking to use the same space at the same time. After public school activities, town meetings and elections are named second, followed by town departments, and community activities.

A fee will be charged to any group who uses space, with the exceptions of any public school business, town government conducting business, Swampscott-based nonprofits, and recreation programs consisting of Swampscott residents.

Committee member John Giantis also detailed changes to the district’s cell phone policy Thursday, however he and his peers decided to postpone a vote to approve citing their desire to become more familiar with it as a whole.

“It basically sets out and says everybody gets a device in the one to one program. However, there will be a policy dictating about phones, headphones, and watches,” Giantis said. “Phones, watches, and headphones will be put away during class and put on mute.”

Specifically for the high school, the current policy draft allows for cell phones to be used in the cafeteria during lunch. Giantis gave credit to high school Principal Dennis Kohut for laying the foundation of the policy, to which he made the aforementioned additions.

The committee agreed to hold a policy subcommittee meeting in which district principals would participate in reviewing and ultimately approving the policy.

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