Scituate Superintendent: New School Represents "Unity of a Community"

Dr. Burkhead committed to continued transparency and responsiveness to community questions and concerns as the $120M elementary school project moves ahead

SCITUATE, MA - May 20 - Scituate voters approved funding for a new elementary school building project on Saturday, marking a significant milestone in the seven-year process. The vote took place during a Saturday debt exclusion override vote, where community members engaged in healthy debate and ultimately supported the project.

Superintendent Bill Burkhead expressed his gratitude to the school committee, school building committee, and community members for their commitment and support throughout the process. "I'm very proud of this. It's probably the hardest and most challenging undertaking I've ever had as an educator," Burkhead said during a school committee meeting on May 20.

The superintendent emphasized the importance of earning the trust of those who voted for and against the project. "I also want to commit to those folks that voted for it or that were not yet ready to support it, that by the end of this, I want you to be happy and proud that we did it," he said.

The project will now enter the design and development phase, where teachers and community members will have the opportunity to provide input on the details of the building and classrooms. Burkhead plans to involve teachers as early as next week to discuss their vision for the ideal classroom.

In addition to the building project, Scituate High School has seen a significant increase in Advanced Placement (AP) course enrollment and exam participation. Over the past three years, the number of AP exams taken by students has risen by 65%, despite a decrease in overall enrollment.

The high school has also expanded its AP course offerings, with six new courses added in the last three years, representing a 25% increase. Burkhead credited the motivation of staff, administrators, and students for the positive changes in the school's culture surrounding AP courses.

"It's exciting that we have more kids participating. You know, the ultimate goal is that every child by junior and senior year will have taken one rigorous course at Scituate High School, every single child. If we can get there, that's pretty awesome," Burkhead said.

The superintendent also highlighted the school's efforts to provide alternative rigorous coursework options, such as the innovation pathway designation and Project Lead the Way, which focus on STEM fields and engineering. These programs offer students who may not be interested in AP courses the opportunity to engage in challenging and relevant learning experiences.

Scituate High School's commitment to expanding access to rigorous coursework has been recognized by the College Board, with the school earning the Silver Distinction for AP in 2024. Burkhead expressed his ambition to achieve gold status in the future, stating, "Maybe we'll get gold next year."

As the district moves forward with the new school building project and continues to enhance academic opportunities for students, Burkhead emphasized the importance of transparency and community engagement. "You have my promise that the work will continue. It will continue to be transparent. We'll continue to meet with the public. We'll continue to take the tough questions, answer them, address them, and make sure that this is a product that the whole community can be proud of," he said.