Parents and staff described steps Westford is taking to expand family supports and inclusive programming for students with disabilities. Melissa Mackey, chair of the district’s Committee for Parents of Children with Disabilities (CPAC), told the School Committee that November is CPAC Awareness Month and said recent changes will give families weekly access to basic‑rights workshops provided by the Federation for Children with Special Needs rather than the single annual session previously offered.

“MASS CPAC awareness month … is meant to highlight the importance of supporting children with disabilities, raising awareness about special education, and hopefully encouraging families and educators to come together in advocacy and collaboration,” Melissa Mackey said during the presentation.

Mackey summarized CPAC’s annual family survey and listed recommended priorities for 2025–26: clearer communication about universal design for learning (UDL) and MTSS (multi‑tiered systems of support); clarified entry and exit criteria for special‑education services; stronger classroom‑based supports before resorting to pullout services; and a review of middle‑school scheduling to reduce barriers to access.

Assistant Director of Special Education Joanne Anderson and Director of Special Education Gerard Coughlin described district program updates and small‑scale expansions intended to preserve neighborhood placements and provide a broader continuum of services. New and existing programs noted at the meeting include:

- REACH (applied behavior analysis principles) — new classroom at NavNasset opened this year with five students, one teacher and three educational support personnel; inclusion partnerships with general‑education classrooms were highlighted as a strength.
- Compass (medical needs) — opened this year at Day School to transition students from Miller; the program has returned two students from out‑of‑district placements but faces challenges in hiring nursing staff.
- SAIL (social‑emotional supports) — Blanchard and Day operate SAIL classrooms as home bases where students check in, access counseling and return to core classes and specials.
- Roots (age‑18–22 transition) — in its second year at Central Office, Roots partners with Middlesex Community College and local employers; Roots Roasters operates two days per week and the program reported community placements and job‑readiness partnerships.

District staff said bringing more programs into neighborhood schools creates opportunities to return some students from out‑of‑district placements, but expansion depends on available resources and staff. Committee members asked about program evaluation and family feedback; staff noted there is annual student progress monitoring and expressed interest in collecting additional parent‑ and staff‑level feedback as new programs mature.

Speakers at the meeting encouraged the district to link CPAC resources and the federation’s workshop schedule prominently on the district website and to consider FAQs or recorded Q&A to reach families who cannot attend specific sessions.

Speakers quoted in this report were present in the meeting’s CPAC presentation and the special‑education program update.