School Committee notebook
By NEIL ZOLOT
WAKEFIELD — School Department Human Resources Manager Joseph Belanger reported 96 percent of positions for the upcoming school year are filled. “It’s typical for August,” he told the School Committee at their meeting Tuesday, August 12. “The list will change over the next week or two as we fill positions. We’re interviewing every day. We have a lot of people in the queue right now.”
He added vacancies are teacher positions, paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers and custodians spread out between all schools. “No one is in a tight position at any one school,” he said.
Personnel changes include Shannon Blacker moving from the Principal of the Doyle Early Childhood Center to be the Interim Assistant Director of Special Education; Erin Manzi moving from a Curriculum Coordinator position to the be Interim Principal of Doyle, and Lisa Tibbets has moved to a Curriculum Coordinator position from a Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) coach position, with the STEM Coach position currently vacant.
In addition, Marguerite Augenbraun will be Assistant Principal at the Woodville after having served as the Interim Assistant Principal there during the latter part of last year.
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In other matters, Superintendent Doug Lyons reported three students will be attending Wakefield Memorial High School under School Choice guidelines.
As defined by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, School Choice “allows families to enroll their children in schools in communities other than the city or town in which they reside. Tuition is paid by the sending district to the receiving district.”
In April Lyons proposed allowing in 11 students, two per grade from 2nd grade to senior year, with a lottery to pick students.
In May, however, based on fears of overcrowding and doing too much too soon, the School Committee opted for School Choice at the high school only with eight seats distributed evenly per grade. A lottery proved unnecessary because only three applied. One will be a freshman, one a junior and one a senior. “We’re in the process of getting their information to the Guidance Department,” Lyons explained.
Once the academic year starts, enrollment is closed and the additional seats will no longer be available.
School Committee member Peter Davis feels the limited number of students “gives us an opportunity to see if we want to continue this.”
“School Choice is the wave of the future,” Lyons feels. “This will be learning by doing.”
He also informed the members he had been asked and is serving on the Screening Committee to choose a new Town Administrator to succeed the retired Steve Maio.
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Business Manager Christine Bufagna reported, “The Town hasn’t closed the books yet for Fiscal 2025, but the School Committee report ending June 30, 2025 shows an ending balance of $28,362,” which will be returned to the Town. That doesn’t include funds encumbered, but not yet spent.
She also said applications for grants are picking up. “Based on what’s happening at the state and federal levels, we anticipate the totals may drop,” she cautioned.
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An agenda item on a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan was postponed until the next meeting Tuesday, August 26. “We will have information forthcoming,” Lyons said. “We’re still working on it.”
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The first day of school is Tuesday, September 2, but teachers will be in their schools Wednesday, August 27 and Thursday, August 28 to get ready.