Hopkinton High School senior Ryan Hwang does not remember a time when music was not part of his life. As a toddler, he used wooden spoons to drum on a trash can, he was told. A fan of the Beatles and particularly Ringo Starr’s drumming, he focused primarily on that...
Featured: Education
School Committee reviews expansion needs at Hopkins School
Town Meeting recently approved an article asking to borrow $800,000 for a feasibility study for the proposed expansion of Hopkins School. That debt exclusion request will appear as a ballot question at the election on May 15. On Thursday, the School Committee...
ESBC chooses ground source heating for elementary school project
In what was described as one of its most significant decisions, the Elementary School Building Committee on Tuesday voted to select an electric ground source heat pump system for the proposed Elmwood School replacement project. It took discussion about both fiscal and...
School Committee gives superintendent mostly ‘exemplary’ ratings
During a workshop-style meeting on Thursday, School Committee members discussed their individual ratings for Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh’s ability to achieve her performance goals. They also evaluated her as either “exemplary” or “proficient” in areas such as...
Hopkinton team wins K-8 chess state title
After winning the Hurvitz Cup State Scholastic Team Championship in elementary school a year ago, the same Hopkinton team of chess players won the K-8 division of the tournament this year. The competition is run by the Massachusetts Chess Association, which hosts the...
School Committee reviews health survey results, SEPAC policy
On Thursday, the Hopkinton School Committee heard the results of the Metrowest Adolescent Health Survey, which asked students their feelings about support, connectiveness and social media use. Board members picked out some of the results, such as 58% of middle school...
HHS students shine at Brain Bee competition
Five students from Hopkinton High School were among the nine finalists at the 17th annual Central Massachusetts Brain Bee hosted by UMass Chan Medical School on March 18. The Brain Bee tests high school students’ knowledge of neuroscience by asking them questions of...
HHS Business Professionals of America students head to national competition
Twenty-two students from Hopkinton High School’s Business Professionals of America club qualified at a state event to attend the National Leadership Conference on April 26-30 in Anaheim, California. In addition, Dhruv Shah was elected state president and Vainavi...
Hopkinton schools lose pair of administrators as Zaleski, Bilello accept positions in other towns
The Weston School Committee on Friday voted unanimously to appoint Karen Zaleski as its interim superintendent for a year, beginning July 1, pending successful contract negotiations. Zaleski has been director of student services in Hopkinton for nine years. Weston’s...
School Committee approves $59.9M budget with 3-2 vote
The School Committee on Thursday voted 3-2 to approve an amended budget for fiscal year 2024 totaling $59,937,752, a 7.9 percent increase over the previous year. Members Holly Morand and Jennifer Devlin cast the opposing votes. The original budget approved and then...
ESBC reviews design changes, considers materials, procurement laws
As plans progress for a proposed Elmwood School replacement, Robert Bell, educational programmer/principal for architectural firm Perkins Eastman, provided an update on tweaks that were made following three more meetings with faculty and staff as well as community...
Students taken off Hopkinton school bus after ‘toy gun’ incident
Police confiscated a toy gun from a student on a school bus and searched students following an incident Wednesday morning, Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh shared. In an email to the schools community Wednesday, Cavanaugh explained that at approximately 7:42 a.m. on the...
Brauninger named principal at Elmwood School
David Brauninger, principal of Lt. Peter M. Hansen Elementary School in Canton, was selected as the new principal at Elmwood School, Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh announced Friday. He will succeed Anne Carver, who is retiring in June. Brauninger and the other...
School Committee questions 14 percent hike for private SPED tuition
School Committee members on Thursday agreed to send a letter to legislators outlining their concern about a 14 percent increase in costs to send students to private special education schools. The tuition hike was imposed by the Operational Services Division and goes...
Committee emphasizes importance of input for proposed new school
Visually seeing what is possible at the proposed Elmwood School replacement is exciting for teachers, according to Elmwood Principal Anne Carver, “especially those who are at Hopkins School trying to wrap their heads around making a shift.” Carver was speaking at...
Appropriation Committee considers school budget gap, future needs
Following a budget presentation Monday, members of the Hopkinton Appropriation Committee told the School Committee that looking at long-term capital needs should be a priority. First, Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh reviewed the district’s proposed $60.1 million...
Elmwood School principal candidates meet with officials, public at forums
Two finalists for the principal’s job at Elmwood School met with faculty, community members and the School Committee on Thursday to answer questions during several forums. Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh said the replacement for retiring principal Anne Carver will be...
School Committee reaffirms support of original budget plan
The Hopkinton School Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to “reaffirm” support of the $60.1 million fiscal year 2024 budget it originally passed on Jan. 19. Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh reviewed the process thus far, noting the proposal began as an 8.3 percent...
Select Board, School Committee continue budget talks
The budget still has many moving parts, noted Town Manager Norman Khumalo during a joint meeting Thursday night with the School Committee. While he acknowledged that people want definitive answers and numbers, Khumalo said the immediate need is to continue...
Facilitator works with school leaders to move forward with SEPAC
Consultant Amy Rebecca Gay led members of the Hopkinton School Committee, administrative staff and the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) through a two-hour working session on Wednesday to see if they could repair their communication issues and work...