School Committee accepts $8,500 in SHS donations

School Committee · Meeting of January 8, 2026

Swampscott School Committee approved $8,500 in donations and heard updates on a student social media detox. The board voted unanimously to accept $500 from the Weatherspoon Charitable Foundation for the high school theater department, $7,000 from the same foundation for the TV program, and $1,000 from the estate of Jane Willett Cox. Joe Douillette, who runs the TV program, said falling cable revenue means the gift "is going to be key for either replacing some of the TV cameras" he bought nearly a decade ago.

Staff member Megan Ramirez reported 317 students took a pre-campaign survey on "NoSo November," with average daily screen time around five and a half hours and roughly 100 students pledging a full month off social media. Superintendent Kalishman announced a tri-committee budget meeting for January 21 at the Senior Center ahead of a January 22 budget presentation.

In the full story:

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• Swampscott's community access TV: School Committee meeting, January 8, 2026
• The complete report: 830 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of January 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.