Members of the Westford School Committee spent significant time Monday discussing a citizen petition on the March 22 warrant that would move town local elections from Tuesday to Saturday.

The petitioner, a committee member who acknowledged she authored the citizen petition, told colleagues the change grew out of calendar conversations and could reduce midweek professional‑development days that currently keep students home on school days used for voting. Committee members and staff described tradeoffs: moving elections to Saturday could reduce conflicts with school activities and may be more family‑friendly, but it would shift staffing responsibilities (custodians, clerks, police details and other support) to a weekend and could create new conflicts with weekend events.

Committee members shared comparative information about nearby towns that hold Saturday local elections (Dedham, Easton, Bedford, Arlington, Pembroke, Hingham and Billerica were cited), and a town clerk consulted in another community told the petitioner she had not experienced more staffing difficulties on Saturdays than on other days. Members also noted early/mass mail‑in and early voting already provide additional ways to participate.

Members questioned whether moving Election Day would increase turnout; witnesses said many towns have long‑standing Saturday elections and there is no direct pre/post comparison data available in Westford. The committee discussed potential staff overtime costs, impact on school events and practices, and whether the select board or town should lead the initiative since it has town‑wide staffing implications.

After discussion the committee decided not to take a formal position at the meeting and agreed to revisit the petition at the March 17 School Committee meeting so members could collect additional information and hear any new input. Several members said they would do homework and that a decisive position before town meeting would be useful but should be based on more data.

Ending: The committee left the petition on the table for two weeks to allow follow‑up with the select board and town clerk and to gather information on staffing, turnout data from similar towns and potential costs; committee members said the item may be printed in the warrant booklet if the committee takes a position before town meeting.