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 place” mode.

“There was never any shooter or threat,” Cavanaugh explained. She noted police swept the building and assessed the call as a hoax.

The superintendent spoke about the situation in terms of how it related to cell phone use in an emergency. She outlined reasons cell phone use is discouraged and how it can complicate the work of law enforcement.

She said students having phones in emergency situations such as this one can lead to misinformation, compromise law enforcement’s tactical advantages, result in parental flocking (heading to the scene), and prohibit access of emergency responders from Hopkinton and surrounding communities.

Student inattentiveness is another factor. In cases of evacuation, etc., students need to listen to directions and not be distracted by their phones, she explained.

“I know this is super hard,” Cavanaugh said. “As a parent and grandparent, I’d be just sick if I knew safety was compromised.”

But after serving on a safety task force for several years, the superintendent said, she understands safety can get even further compromised by cell phone use.

She said parents did not flock to the school, but some did pick up their students. It did not cause undo congestion, however.

Chair Nancy Cavanaugh said when the shelter in place was occurring, there were a lot of social media conversations.

School Committee member Kyla McSweeney asked how information can get out to parents, noting she had been approached by several people.

The superintendent said she is working on it, and police suggest no cell phones even as parents and students are being reconnected.

“I know it is difficult asking people not to have communication,” Carol Cavanaugh said.

Hopkins project update provided

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Susan Rothermich presented a progress report on the addition/renovation project at the Hopkins School.

The project is on schedule, she said, and work to date has included geothermal well drilling (75% done); infiltration system installation by Welch, the site contractor; fence line adjustment and recess area expansion; and the start of excavation and sub-base preparation for footings and foundation walls.

She said Marguerite Concrete started form work rebar installation, with the first concrete poured Sept. 30.

Rothermich reviewed the schedule that has substantial completion of the addition by February 2026; renovation, site work and final completion of the building by mid Aug. 2026; and school ready for students on Aug. 21, 2026.

The assistant superintendent also talked about the budget for the project. The total is $52.4 million, with commitments to date amounting to $14.9 million (28.6%).

The architect, with a $3.5 million contract, has expenditures to date of $2.2 million (62%).

The owner’s project manager, with a $2 million contract, has spent $430,612 (21%).

The construction contract value is $39.2 million, and billings minus retainage of 5% total $1.2 million (3%).

Board approves capital plan for FY 26

Rothermich once again presented the list of capital requests for fiscal year 2026, repeating the presentation from the last meeting. The one change is that the Marathon Adaptive Playground designer, BETA, brought forward three draft proposals for the work ranging from $1.6 million to $2.1 million.

She said timing issues meant a grant request had to be submitted to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) prior to the Adaptive Playground Committee meeting on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m.

Members can “swap out elements and make decisions,” Rothermich said, once they hear the designer’s presentation.

The other capital items are replacements for the following: $735,000 for heat, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) at the middle school and high school; $200,000 for storefront entry doors at the middle school; $60,000 for a campus sewer cover behind the high school; and $100,000 for system technology upgrades.

The committee voted 4-0 (Susan Stephenson was absent) to approve the plan.

Grants, student travel approved

Carol Cavanaugh spoke about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B and Part C grants, both FY 25 federal entitlement grants. They amounted to $977,416 and $25,107, respectively, and were accepted by votes of the School Committee.

In other business, the committee approved requests for student travel. These included the Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference March 8-9 in Norwood, and the BPA National Leadership Conference in Orlando May 7-11, 2025.

Permission also was given for travel to the VEX Robotics Worlds (competition) May 5-8 in Dallas.

Additionally, the board agreed to replace the Magic The Gathering Club at Hopkinton Middle School (which has been vacant for two years) with The Legendary Card Alliance Club. The club comes with a stipend of $556.

“Our clubs are student generated, and it is wonderful,” the superintendent noted.