Weston School Committee receives external METCO review, hires finance director

WESTON -- November 18, 2024, Weston School Committee receives external METCO review and hires new finance director. Meeting Nov. 18 at METCO Inc.'s Boston headquarters, the committee heard Dr. Keith Lazama, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Emmanuel College, present an external review recommending a dedicated METCO social worker, separating the METCO director role from the academic liaison role, partnering with the Calculus Project, and refreshing job descriptions last updated eight to 10 years ago. METCO Inc. CEO Milagros "Milly" Arbaje-Thomas briefed members on the METCO 2.0 framework, backed by roughly $1 million in state funding and grants of up to $15,000 per district. The committee unanimously approved a consent agenda hiring Gary Grinnell as director of finance, subject to counsel revising licensure language to account for DESE panel-review delays of "three to five years." Member Kenneth Newberg pushed back on deferring policy reviews to MASC: "There will be a presumption of what's best for our kids." The 2025-26 calendar was deferred over a possible WEA contract gap and an equity dispute over labeling religious holidays.