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...
Featured: Education
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...
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,...
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...
School superintendent places resident restrictions on use of HHS athletic facilities following swatting incident
Hopkinton Public Schools Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh announced Friday that residential use of Hopkinton High School’s athletic facilities will be restricted during the regular school day in light of a swatting incident earlier this week. In an email to families and...
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...
HHS ordered to shelter in place due to apparent hoax
The principal of Hopkinton High School announced Tuesday morning that the school was ordered to shelter in place after police received a call about an “alleged active shooter” in the building. “This morning, at approximately 11:13 a.m., the Hopkinton Police Department...
School Committee reviews capital plan, goals, risk insurance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsfc9AnbIw0&list=PL8WekT6kxX1B3xlP6fIr3QmhJButK4GkU&index=1 The School Committee looked at the fiscal year 2026 capital plan, approved builder’s risk insurance and talked about goals and improvements during Thursday’s meeting....
ESBC approves upgrades to Charleswood air units, rejects large mock-up for testing
The Elementary School Building Committee at its Tuesday meeting approved rooftop unit upgrades corresponding with accommodations for future expansions to the Charleswood School. Factored in the project’s design is space for 18 additional classrooms, which would be...