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The student news site of Westford Academy

WA Ghostwriter

The student news site of Westford Academy

WA Ghostwriter

The student news site of Westford Academy

WA Ghostwriter

The library where the Career Fair will take place.

Junior college events cancelled due to budget cuts

Gerald Li, Staff Writer Mar 17, 2026

The Junior Job Shadow, usually scheduled for the end of may, has been cancelled. Instead, a one-block mini career fair will be held on March 19 during advisory in the library. This cancellation follows budget cuts that reduced faculty size. Originally, the Junior Job Shadow was a day when juniors...

WA Mock Trial captains Finney, Mehta, and Phan (from left to right) smile in front of a framed photo of their 2023 Elite 8 Tournament.

The verdict is in: WA Mock Trial is headed to States

Kate Kelly, Co-Managing Editor Feb 13, 2025

With 85 dense sheets of information sprawled across the library tables, students review content until their case becomes second nature. They confer and consume minute details for weeks on end, just for the process to start anew for their next trial. For the first time in over a decade, WA Mock Trial...

What are students and teachers thoughts on the new class sizes?

Soundbytes: teachers and students reflect on larger class sizes

Penelope Zambrana, Opinion and Review Editor Nov 4, 2024

Last school year Westford faced an 6-8 million dollar budget deficit. With this came many changes that the WA community has since had to adapt to. One obstacle that stuck out among others was the widespread layoff of teachers. This included many disadvantages such as making it harder for some students...

Students share their opinions about the possible cuts in the Visual Performing Arts department.

Visual Performing Arts budget cuts from the student perspective

Noah Brown, Social Media & Graphic Design Editor Jan 16, 2024

Lately, one of the biggest topics of discussion for the school committee has been the proposed budget cuts happening in the Westford Public School system (WPS), with significant reductions in the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) section at WA. Based on the school committee's latest budget plan, there...

Humans of WA: Student body explores later start times dilemma

Srinithi Raj, Co-Editor-in-Chief Jan 29, 2021

Because the school’s increase in funds was only about 1% this year as compared to the 3% average of previous years, going from a three tier system of 36 buses to a four tier system of 30 buses will save Westford Public Schools $444,174. According to Olsen, this bus cut will ensure the same high quality...

Students, alumni, parents, and faculty line up in front of the microphones to give their opinions on the proposed budget cuts.

1/13 School Committee Meeting further discusses cuts

Meghan Hall, Staff Writer Jan 14, 2020

On Monday, January 13, the Westford School Committee met to discuss proposed budget cuts in the Latin and English departments, as well as other service reductions. The meeting lasted nearly four hours and featured speakers who would be directly affected by the proposed budget cuts, such as Sarah Bjorkman,...

McCuin, the freshman who started the petition.

Students create petition for Estabrook

Keertana Gangireddy and Unnati Bhat Dec 11, 2019

Among the recent budget cuts in our school department, English Teacher and Cross Country/Track Coach Michael Estabrook may be let go. In an attempt to save his job, freshman Emma McCuin started a change.org petition Tuesday evening, December 10th. The petition gained popularity through many students...

Substitute Dick Mungovan watches over a DLT in the cafeteria.

Westford Academy faced with a lack of substitute teachers

John Vassiliou, Online Managing Editor Dec 10, 2019

Due to constraints from the town budget, Westford Academy has cut funding for its substitute program from $45,000 annually, to just $30,000. To compensate for this loss, WA has instituted a new system for how it will administer classes while their teachers are absent. In previous years, WA's system...

What do you think about the new sub plans?
Grace Morse: "Well so far my experience has been a little bit confusing on where to go, especially in some cases my teachers have said, 'You're going to the cafeteria'  and then we end up having a sub, and then the sub got mad at people for going to the wrong place. So I think it just needs to be a little more clear what kids should do."

Soundbytes: WA student opinions on the new sub plans

Penny Joyce, Staff Writer Dec 6, 2019

At the start of the 2019-2020 school year Westford Academy eliminated most substitute teachers. Whenever a teacher is absent now, students report to the cafe for a DLT, unless there is a sub or teacher in that class, in which case students stay in the classroom. Here are some WA students' opinions on...