Editor's note: This story was updated with a statement from Joe Markey. The School Committee at its Thursday night meeting responded to a complaint by a Hopkinton resident against two School Committee members, Joe Markey and Meg Tyler, saying that they were in...
School Committee
School Committee roudup: Budget approved; calendar debated; COVID policy questioned
The School Committee at Thursday’s meeting approved the fiscal year 2023 budget of $57,116,438 and discussed a range of topics from updating the school calendar to the decrease in COVID-19 cases in schools over the past week. The committee approved by a 4-0-1 vote the...
School Committee weighs continued COVID precautions against emotional strain from ‘culture of fear’
At Thursday's School Committee meeting, Chair Nancy Cavanaugh welcomed the Board of Health, which requested a joint meeting with the committee to discuss the rise in COVID-19 cases because of the omicron variant, which is considered highly contagious in comparison...
School Committee roundup: No support for trail proposal; budget vote upcoming
The School Committee at its Thursday meeting voted unanimously not to support a current application proposed by the Upper Charles Trail Committee (UCTC) to extend a portion of its trail across the Irvine-Todaro property to Hayden Rowe Street. UCTC Chair Jane Moran in...
School Committee discusses strategy for dealing with COVID surge: Case numbers ‘are a little bit alarming’
The School Committee held its Thursday night meeting virtually due to the town’s spike in COVID-19 cases, which has led to increased absenteeism in school this week both from cases and parents’ fear that their children could contract the disease. Superintendent Carol...
School Committee roundup: Special education costs soar; Elmwood proposal moves into feasibility period
In addition to re-implementing the mandatory mask policy at Hopkinton High School by a 3-2 vote, the School Committee discussed other issues at its meeting Thursday night. Special education costs rise Karen Zaleski, the student services district director, noted that...
Divided School Committee votes to make masks mandatory at HHS due to surge in COVID-19 cases
The School Committee on Thursday voted 3-2 to re-institute the mandatory mask policy at Hopkinton High School beginning today after a nearly hour-long discussion. “Everyone, I’m sure, has been hearing about the school outbreak,” said Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh....
School Committee discusses budget with town leaders
The School Committee began its hybrid meeting Thursday night with a joint session with the Select Board and the Appropriation Committee to discuss the Fiscal Year 2023 school budget requests. “We really do have a very good idea of where we stand right now,”...
School Committee votes to institute another mask-optional trial period at HHS
Following the success of the mask-optional trial period for COVID-vaccinated students and staff at Hopkinton High School over the first three weeks in November, the School Committee voted 4-0-1 at Thursday’s meeting to implement a second trial period, running Dec....
School Committee approves MOA on HHS mask policy with teachers union
Following an executive session Tuesday night, the School Committee voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Hopkinton Teachers Association regarding the new mask-optional policy for vaccinated individuals at Hopkinton High School....
School Committee debates mask policy for athletics, gets MCAS update
The School Committee at its Monday night meeting discussed two major issues: the policy regarding wearing masks at school athletic events as well as the district’s MCAS scores. Athletic Director Rich Cormier appeared before the committee to request its guidance about...
School Committee chair: ‘Not an easy decision’ on unmasking
School Committee Chair Nancy Cavanaugh has received mixed feedback on the new policy allowing vaccinated individuals the choice to remove their masks at Hopkinton High School, although there was more public input before the decision was made. “With regard to [the Oct....
School Committee roundup: Students share survey results; enrollment data updated
Thursday night’s School Committee decision in a 3-2 vote to lift the mask requirement for a trial period for COVID-19 vaccinated students and staff at Hopkinton High School from Nov. 1-19 was big news for Hopkinton and the state. Hopkinton became the first community...
School Committee not ready to vote on rescinding mask mandate at HHS
Following an hour-long discussion Thursday night, the School Committee decided to hold off on a vote to rescind the mask requirement at Hopkinton High School at least until its Oct. 21 meeting. Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh outlined the updated mask policy from the...
School Committee approves all school improvement plans, teachers union contract
The School Committee at its meeting Thursday night unanimously approved the student improvement plans for each of the district’s five schools. The common thread among all the presentations was weaving a focus on social and emotional learning (SEL) with education on...
Mass. education commissioner announces statewide mask requirement for K-12 students, staff
The state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education — after previously indicating each district would make its own determination — on Tuesday announced a statewide mask requirement for all public K-12 students and staff through at least Oct. 1. Education...
School Committee votes unanimously to start school year with universal mask policy
The School Committee voted 5-0 at its meeting Thursday night to open the school year with the requirement that all students and staff wear masks. The policy will be reviewed on a monthly basis as new information on COVID-19 comes available. The committee made the...
Board of Health recommends masks in Hopkinton schools
Masks should be worn in the Hopkinton Public Schools when students return to class as part of “a layered approach” to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Board of Health recommended to the School Committee in a joint meeting Wednesday night. The School Committee is...
School Committee roundup: Mask use for upcoming school year debated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjYXDhiAmhs The use of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was discussed at Thursday’s School Committee meeting, with a vote expected at the next meeting on Aug. 19. Representatives for two groups — one for and one opposed —...
School Committee’s Listening Series runs Aug. 1-24
The School Committee on Monday announced the schedule for its Listening Series, which it describes as "targeted office hours to help the School Committee hear directly from specific sectors of our school community about their lived experiences, challenges, successes...