Woburn Schools Will Talk With Union About Pre-Labor Day Start

WOBURN, MA -- Seemingly backing off an earlier position that it alone had authority to set the start of the school year, the Woburn School Committee and Superintendent Matthew Crowley said they will talk with the union representing teachers about starting the school year before Labor Day. Last month the school committee reversed an earlier decision to start the school year ahead of the holiday.

That change was made because the committee said parents, students and staff members had not been given enough advance notice of the change. But the committee maintained that the collective bargaining agreement it has with teachers allows it to set the school calendar.

Now, the school committee is saying it will work with the teacher's union and make schedule changes subject to collective bargaining. "The goal would be to come up with a permanent plan to start school before Labor Day," School Committee Member Ellen Crowley told the Daily Times Chronicle, which first reported this story.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).