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...
Education
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...
Superintendent Cavanaugh announces retirement at end of school year
Hopkinton Superintendent of Schools Carol Cavanaugh announced that she will retire at the end of the school year. In a letter to school families, Cavanaugh called the decision a "difficult one." "I began my tenure here in Hopkinton on June 1, 2016, as assistant...
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...
Hope may be on horizon for Sunshine Preschool to prevent anticipated June 2025 closure
After learning about its impending closure in June 2025, parents of students at an iconic preschool are stepping up to find a potential buyer to continue the founder’s nearly half-century of educating the region’s children. Christine Martin, the owner and...
Schools Notebook: HHS Drama to present ‘Addams Family Musical’
Hopkinton High School’s Drama Department plans to spook and delight audiences this month as it brings “The Addams Family Musical” to the stage. The production runs from Nov. 21-24 at HHS and features a cast, crew and band composed almost entirely of students — more...
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...
Court documents detail investigation into school custodian
New information outlines the case against Benjamin Hogan, the Hopkinton Middle School custodian charged with possession of child pornography. Documents that the Independent obtained from Milford District Court detail the criminal complaint filed against Hogan. As...
Middle school custodian arraigned on child pornography charges
Benjamin Hogan, a member of Hopkinton Middle School's custodial staff, was arraigned in Milford District Court on one count of possession of child pornography on Monday. In an email to the Independent, the Worcester County District Attorney's office confirmed Hogan's...
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,...
School shooting concerns prompt parent to advocate for safety assessment funding
A Hopkinton parent concerned about student safety in the Hopkinton Public Schools is planning on submitting an article for the May 2025 Annual Town Meeting to call for a safety assessment, potentially leading to the use of metal detectors in the schools to deter...
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...