Duxbury School Committee Prepares for Crucial Budget Vote
Duxbury High School completes comprehensive mapping project as district faces potential override
DUXBURY - January 29 - The Duxbury School Committee is gearing up for a critical Town Meeting vote on March 6 that will determine whether an override question appears on the March 23 ballot. Committee members emphasized the importance of community participation in the upcoming decision.
"It's really important that people that are in town get out and vote on March 6, because it doesn't automatically get put on that March 22nd ballot if it doesn't pass first at town meeting to get on the ballot," Superintendent Danielle Klingaman said.
The committee discussed strategies to increase community engagement, including attending PTA meetings and hosting public forums. They plan to coordinate with other town boards to hold informational sessions after the Select Board officially places the override article on the town warrant, expected to occur on Feb. 6.
Committee member Kathryn Marshall highlighted the availability of vote-by-mail applications for residents who may be unable to attend the March 23 vote in person. "You can submit this vote by mail application up until the Friday before the vote. So I think it's March 15th is what it works out to be," Marshall said.
The district is also working to arrange childcare for the town meeting to facilitate attendance.
As budget discussions continue, Duxbury High School (DHS) has completed a comprehensive curriculum mapping project aimed at increasing transparency and aligning with the school's portrait of a graduate.
Officials reported that the initiative, which began last year, has created a consistent format for all courses offered at the high school. The project was undertaken in response to recommendations from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation visit in March 2023.
The new curriculum maps explicitly explain essential questions, content, frameworks, concepts, and skills for each course, aligning them with the school's portrait of a graduate. The goal was to make the information easily digestible for students, families, and the wider community.
"We will be finishing up those last [curriculum] maps at our half-day PD next week, and we have already built the web page where they will all be housed," DHS Principal Jen Cotton-Herman added.
The project is set to be completed by March, ahead of a follow-up visit from NEASC on March 2-5.
In other district news, elementary schools have unanimously chosen CKLA as their new literacy curriculum following a pilot program. The decision was based on positive feedback from students, teachers, and parents.
"Overwhelmingly, we had a unanimous choice of CKLA for our curriculum materials from all the teachers in the room, which was really exciting," said Chandler Elementary School Principal Erin Wiesehahn.
The district is now working on an implementation plan for the new curriculum, with details to be shared at the next school committee meeting.
The committee also discussed the ongoing evaluation process for teachers and administrators. Superintendent Klingaman emphasized the importance of providing meaningful feedback and fostering reflective practices among staff.
"We want to make sure the evaluation process is meaningful and not just an exercise in compliance," Klingaman said. "We're looking for reflective practitioners and we're looking for people that are open to feedback and people that are willing to change their instruction based on the students in front of them."
As the district faces potential budget challenges, committee members stressed the need for clear communication with the community about the impact of the proposed override and the importance of the upcoming votes.
The next school committee meeting is scheduled for Jan. 31, where members will continue to discuss budget implications and receive updates on various district initiatives.