Plympton Elementary Sees Record Enrollment

Playground repairs and maintenance plan discussed amid growing student population

PLYMPTON, MA - September 23 - The Dennett Elementary School has reached a historic high enrollment of 249 students for the 2024-2025 school year, marking a significant increase from previous years. The school committee discussed this growth along with addressing playground safety concerns during their recent meeting.

Principal Peter Veneto reported the current enrollment figure, which represents a substantial rise from the school's previous low of 198 students. This growth trend highlights the increasing demand for educational services in the district.

"We have seen tremendous growth in the population of the Dennett in just a short eight or nine years," noted School Committee Chair Jason Fraser.

The committee also focused on recent playground equipment repairs. A reduced cost estimate of about one-third the original quote was presented for necessary fixes.

"The initial quote that we got from the first company that came out was $5,200 to make the necessary repairs," Veneto said. "Mike Lawless told me that has since increased to $5,800, which we both thought was a little bit high."

Veneto explained that they found an alternative company to perform the same work for significantly less. "We're going with that company. Somebody that Mike knows well, they've done work here in the past," he said.

The principal assured the committee that there are no current safety issues with the playground. "We were told to shut down the one section that had a missing bolt, and the kids have been instructed to stay away from the stay-off fence," Veneto said. "It's been roped off several times."

Committee member Jon Wilhemsen raised concerns about ongoing maintenance and suggested implementing a regular inspection plan. "Do we have a periodic reassessment? How often are we inspecting it?" he asked.

Veneto agreed to discuss establishing a regular maintenance schedule with the facilities manager. "Mike and I can talk about that because, as you said, Jon, your analogy was perfect. You don't just buy your car. You don't ever look at it again," he said.

The committee also addressed other matters, including budget considerations and staffing updates. Sarah Hickey, Director of Finance, presented changes to the financial reporting structure to improve transparency and compliance with state regulations.

Superintendent Jill Proulx provided an overview of district accomplishments and goals, including the implementation of social-emotional learning assessments and curriculum alignment efforts.

The meeting also touched on the district's strategy for improvement, focusing on addressing achievement gaps and aligning curriculum with state standards.

In other business, the committee accepted an anonymous $10,000 donation to the school. Veneto noted that the donor has contributed to the school in the past and prefers to remain unnamed.

As the meeting concluded, the committee voted to enter executive session to discuss strategy for negotiations with non-union personnel and to approve executive session minutes from March 25, 2024.