Good afternoon.

The midyear exam week is always a Time for our school to have a natural break and opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconsider our goals for the current year. Our students appreciate the opportunity to focus on wrapping up their first semester grades, preparing projects, or studying for more traditional exams, and our teachers use the time to make sure that they are all in a similar place in terms of pacing and sequence for curriculum. For us to remove all distractions and just focus on this transition is beyond valuable.

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I mentioned distraction because I would be remiss if I did not address some of the challenges that we are facing. As I am in my 10th year in this community, I feel that I have built some trust and valuable relationships within the community, and I have focused on being transparent, consistent, and forthright, be it with news or insight that is positive, negative, or somewhere in between. Fortunately, there have been far more positive updates from this school than otherwise.

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Our latest distraction and potential deterrence from the work at hand came earlier this week. On Tuesday morning, the Worcester Telegram broke a story with details about the arrest and arraignment of our Superintendent, Dr. Baldassarre. Obviously, news like this breaks and conjures with it much emotion, as we acknowledge the seriousness of these charges, respect the legal process, and the feelings of anger, disappointment, sadness, or frustration that could emerge as a result. As a school, we will do, as we always do: block out distractions and focus on the work at hand, as there is much to be done at UHS. Further speculation on Dr. Baldassarre, the circumstances, or the aftermath is not necessarily productive, and we have important work to complete independent of those unexpected diversions.

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The past several years have presented our community with unprecedented challenges, and so this difficult time is no different and one that we are confident from which we will emerge with character and focus. Through it all, the educators and students of our district have demonstrated remarkable resilience and commitment to our community and schools, whether we are discussing last year’s budgetary strife, the difficulties of the pandemic, or the more day-to-day challenges of teaching and learning. Therefore, it was not surprising to me that while there may have been some conversations about what had transpired, the business of wrapping up the semester, providing students with feedback, and continuing the work that comes with the transition from second to third quarter persisted without even so much as a hiccup.

In that same spirit, I am personally grateful that the School Committee determined quickly on Tuesday to appoint Dr. Dwyer as our Interim Superintendent. This maintains continuity with our leadership team and allows us to focus on the very work we are charged with completing - including the budget for next year, the academic goals for the current year, and the collaboration between our schools that has been strong. She has my explicit and complete support, and I know that the work we face in the coming months will be shepherded accordingly. Indeed, we have much to do!

It is our hope that we remember that one person's actions or decisions do not define an entire school district. Our schools remain a place where our children can learn and grow, supported by a dedicated and talented faculty. As we navigate this time, let us also remember the wisdom of an old saying: "He who seeks to bury others in a pit, often finds himself in the pit." In that spirit, we hope we extend grace and understanding to each other as we work together to progress, because our schools and community will endure this latest course of events, regardless of their eventual outcome. When I taught literature, we found many characters who found joy in the suffering of others, which is hardly something we wish to model for our students.

We remain steady and steadfast in our work here at the high school, and thank you, as always, for the support.

Graduation Requirements

Since the November vote to remove a testing requirement from high school graduation, school districts have been debating and investigating different ways to meet what is called the competency requirement, which is typically measured by a specific score on state MCAS Tests. We have already shared our recommended policy adjustment with the school committee's academic achievement subcommittee and will present next week to the policy subcommittee. Our hope is to have a firm decision very soon so that we can implement as planned for the class of 2025.

Semester Two

Our second semester starts on Monday. As luck would have it, it will be a Day One schedule. If students have a “hole” or missing period in their schedule, they should see their school counselor when that block occurs. 

For students who may be looking for schedule changes, please note that schedule changes may not be possible. We ask that students connect with their school counselor, but make sure that they are following the schedule as it is presented until a schedule is changed - if that change is even possible.

FY26 Budget

There has already been significant discussion at the School Committee level about the FY26 budget. As we work through our needs, please know that we are balancing many factors, from wanting to ensure that we provide our students with the best education possible, supporting extracurricular activities and athletics, maintaining staffing levels, and working to maintain programs. We have, as a district, some costs that continue to grow, such as transportation, contractual obligations, and utilities, and the state sets rates for special education out-of-district schools. We also have a number of legal needs that form the foundation of what we provide. We will be doing our best to work with the School Committee to move forward with an appropriate request.

To address one piece of misinformation: the School Committee requested that we provide a level-service budget and a budget that meets a 3% increase from this year to next. Because of some of the fixed costs and other variables, a 3% budget increase does mean that some cuts are recommended. A level service budget for a school aims to maintain the same level of educational programs and services as the previous year. It essentially keeps things the same, without adding new programs or significantly changing existing ones. This type of budget focuses on covering the costs of existing staff, resources, and operations to ensure the school can continue providing its current level of education. Please keep in mind that a 3% (or even 5%) increase to a school budget does not mean that there will need to be an override of Proposition 2 ½. Last year, for example, the school district’s budget, even after the May/June challenges, was increased by about 9%, and that did not necessitate an override vote because of the way the town budgeted as a whole.

Please block May 13 off, as the spring Town Meeting will take place that night. Regardless of your perspective, we hope people take the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

Have a great weekend!