https://www.youtube.com/live/1ertJF_-C1w Though it appears Hopkinton is facing a $4.7 million operating budget deficit, Select Board chair Brian Herr said the town is at the very beginning of the process, and any talk about Proposition 2 1/2 overrides is premature and...
Susan Gonsalves
Geothermal testing, water infiltration among ESBC topics
The Elementary School Building Committee on Tuesday heard about an issue that came up during drilling for a geothermal test well at the Charleswood School site. Members also saw a presentation showing design updates at the 90% construction document phase. Vertex...
HMS student wins regional History Bee, qualifies for worlds
Aarav Singh, an eighth grader at Hopkinton Middle School, won the regional History Bee and qualified to compete at the national and international levels. The International Academic Competitions event was held on Nov. 26 at Star Academy in Wellesley. Singh explained...
School Committee picks consultant for superintendent search
At its meeting Thursday, the School Committee selected New England School Development Council as its consultant to help with the new superintendent search. Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh is retiring in June 2025. Chair Nancy Cavanaugh noted receipt of three “very...
School principals outline budget proposals
During budget presentations to the School Committee on Thursday, school principals asked for increases in the substitute account across the board and highlighted personnel and expense requests in other cases. Marathon School Representing Marathon School, Principal...
School Committee addresses superintendent search, school calendar
The School Committee on Thursday discussed plans to search for a new superintendent in the wake of Carol Cavanaugh’s impending retirement in June 2025. Members also addressed possible changes to the school calendar and the process they should undertake to gauge public...
School Committee reviews proposed FY 26 budgets, grapples with requests
Budget presentations for fiscal year 2026 dominated Thursday night’s School Committee meeting. Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Susan Rothermich introduced the process, showing data from previous years, including ‘actual spending’ numbers and how...
ESBC reviews schedule changes, potential risks for new school
By unanimous vote, the Elementary School Building Committee on Tuesday selected Firepoint Consulting Inc. as a third- party reviewer to work under the town’s Fire Department and Building Department until the Charleswood School is completed. Firepoint was one of four...
Planning retirement, Cavanaugh reflects on superintendent tenure
During a phone interview with the Hopkinton Independent on Friday, Superintendent of Schools Carol Cavanaugh said she considers it a “blessing to work in such a beautiful community.” “I have enjoyed working here every single day,” she said. Cavanaugh announced her...
School Committee get building project updates, discusses school calendar
Work on the Hopkins School addition/renovation is on schedule, and the new Charleswood School’s cost is running $1.2 million under budget. On Thursday, Susan Rothermich, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, gave the School Committee an overview of the...
Elmwood students relish field trip to Respite Center
When Emma Litavis was a second grader at Elmwood School, she took a tour of the Michael Lisnow Respite Center. “Their message and people stuck with me,” Litavis said. And what was the message she recalled? “If I see someone alone at lunchtime, I can go sit with them...
Teen creates art boxes with ‘heart and hard work’ for children in need
Cherylann Walsh, president and founder of the nonprofit Project Just Because, describes Hopkinton High School junior Aishwarya Vijay as “a shining star,” and “just a book of ideas.” Vijay, a volunteer at PJB since the eighth grade, recently saw her idea come to life...
Student leads effort to improve grief support at HHS
Sidharth Nair, a junior at Hopkinton High School, knows about grief firsthand. When he was 7 years old, his father passed away. That experience inspired him to help spread the message that loss hits people in different ways, and support is available. As a freshman,...
ESBC selects smaller Charleswood mock-up for testing
Revisiting a topic that came up in September, the Elementary School Building Committee on Tuesday voted to use a two-sided, L-shaped mock-up structure for testing. At a previous meeting, Vertex vice president and project director Jeff D’Amico relayed the commissioning...
SEPAC launches Little Library with resources for SPED parents
Located adjacent to the Marathon School playground is a new, free community resource called the Little Library. It is the latest effort by Hopkinton’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) to create a welcoming space for parents and caregivers to pick up a...
Police understaffing underpins ‘angst’ over school safety
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aVlIucXFPo In her report to the School Committee Thursday night, Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh spent time describing the district’s training in school safety during intruder incidents. The information came following an episode earlier...
‘Good stuff is happening’ with Hopkinton’s MCAS performance
https://www.youtube.com/live/-aVlIucXFPo?si=dRQEpeePwbahmLWq&t=1518 Recent news about Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) results show a decline across the state post-COVID in English/language arts and flat rates in mathematics. In Hopkinton,...
In wake of swatting incident at HHS, emergency cell phone use reviewed
In her superintendent’s report to the School Committee on Thursday, Carol Cavanaugh referred to the Oct. 2 swatting incident at the high school. A false 911 call was made to police, saying a shooter was in the building. The school community was put in “shelter in...
ESBC considers future steps for Charleswood School project
Earlier this week, the Charleswood Elementary School project received approvals for its site and stormwater management plans from the Planning Board and Conservation Commission. On Wednesday, Vertex project manager Chris Eberly outlined the next steps to the...
District excels in Niche rankings of schools nationwide
Hopkinton had an impressive showing at the local, state and national level in the 2025 Niche Best Schools K-12 rankings. In Massachusetts, Hopkinton ranked No. 1 of 233 for Districts with Best Teachers, 5 of 217 for Best School District, 7 of 237 for Best Places to...