TEWKSBURY — The Tewksbury School Committee met on Jan. 11, 2023 to recognize two TMHS state champion teams and discuss potential district preschool options.
Assistant Business Manager Dr. Eileen Osborne held the first budget workshop of the year for FY24. Major changes reflect full year funding of the Center Elementary School and the closures of the North Street and Trahan Schools. From FY23, the total salary budget will increase by 2.98 percent, the total operating budget will increase by 3.46 percent, and the capital outlay budget will decrease by 3.5 percent, for a total budget increase of three percent in FY24.
The district is currently funding 12 positions through COVID-19 ESSER grants; administrators are analyzing the positions to determine which are still needed and how they will be funded after the grants expire in 2024.
The board recognized the TMHS girls varsity volleyball team, coached by Allison Luppi, Kaitlyn Stokes, and Erin Murphy, for winning the MIAA Division III state championship. Members include Tori Rowe, Chloe Burns, McKayla Conley, Olivia Cueva, Vanessa Green, Kiley Kennedy, Carrina Barron, Ava Fernandes, Jennie Lester, Madelyn Montejo, Charlotte Morris, Julia Moura, and Ava Nordbruch.
The board also recognized the TMHS Esports team, coached by Sanford Arbogast. The team won the MSAA Esports Rocket League state championship and will go on to the national competition this summer. Members include Toffy Beyloune, Peter Impink, Andy Harlalka, and Jonas Jiminez.
The board heard a presentation on the TPS preschool program from Dewing School principal Alexis Bosworth, Heath Brook School principal Terry Gerrish, and special education director Rick Pelletier. Currently, special education services for preschool students are only offered at the Dewing School regardless of address, and full-day preschool is only offered at the Heath Brook School.
The Dewing currently has 115 preschool students, including 33 special education students from the Heath Brook and 43 from the Dewing. The Heath Brook currently has 45 preschool students, including 10 from the Dewing area. The Dewing’s integrated preschool program has four classrooms, while the separate Developmental Learning Center has five classroom teachers.
For the 2023-2024 school year, students will be attending preschool based on their address, and will be provided equal access to services at both schools, including extended day programs and special education services. The goal is to reduce transitions between schools for students entering kindergarten. The proposed model will include three DLC classrooms at each school and two integrated preschool classrooms at the Heath Brook and three at the Dewing.
No programmatic changes are proposed for the TMHS preschool program, which is supported through the high school’s child development classes. However, the one-time enrollment fee will increase from $50 to $100.
In her monthly report, superintendent Brenda Theriault-Regan thanked the Tewksbury Fire Department for offering CPR training to the district’s food services staff. Theriault-Regan spoke on the successful opening of the new Center Elementary School, citing the leadership of principal Jay Harding and assistant principal Rob Rogers.
On their first day at the new school, students received a Center Elementary School t-shirt, sponsored by the PAC, which students and staff wore on their first Friday spirit day. An invite-only ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Feb. 3, and a community open house will be held on Feb. 4.
The board approved a trip request for the Wynn and TMHS drama programs to travel to New York City to attend the musical “& Juliet,” learn from a Broadway workshop, and eat dinner at Ellen’s Stardust Diner.
The board conducted Theriault-Regan’s mid-year review, in which she was rated by all members as either progressing or meeting expectations in all categories. The board cited the successful completion and opening of the Center School and felt that Theriault-Regan was making sufficient progress on district goals.
The next meeting is set for Feb. 8, 2023.
