Saugus Schools Make Protect Act Policy Permanent
School Committee · Meeting of September 10, 2026
Saugus School Committee makes Protect Act policy permanent, splits over testing evacuation drills. Vice Chair Stephanie Mastrocola presided for an absent Chair Tom Whittredge, and the committee elevated member Dennis Gould to chair of its Policy Subcommittee. Members approved $234,253.50 in bills and amended a facility rental rule to waive fees for nonprofit groups serving Saugus residents regardless of address.
The night's real friction came during building crisis-plan presentations: Gould argued the district should physically test evacuating Middle High School students to Kowloon's restaurant rather than rely on an unpracticed plan, saying "we just always are fixing after we screw up on something, and that has just got to change." Principal Dr. Scazzarella countered that an untested drill, without police shutting down streets, could be riskier than a real event. Minutes from the August 27 executive session were approved 4-0.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,622 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of September 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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