Weymouth School Committee Votes to Negotiate Superintendent Contract
Interim Superintendent Melanie Curtin poised for permanent role after months-long 'interview'
WEYMOUTH - December 5 - The Weymouth School Committee voted unanimously Dec. 5 to enter into negotiations for a three-year contract with Interim Superintendent Melanie Curtin, potentially solidifying her position as the district's top administrator.
The decision came after months of Curtin serving in the interim role, which committee members viewed as an extended job interview.
"Mel Curtin is our interim superintendent… You signed a one-year interim superintendent contract," said member Rebecca Sherlock-Shangraw during the meeting. "Now is the time where this committee needs to start thinking about what next steps would look like."
The committee considered two options: opening a search for new candidates or offering Curtin a full contract based on her performance since May.
Kimberly Ferreira, chair of the Weymouth Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), spoke in support of Curtin during public comment.
"She really brings to this position the benefit of having many years in many roles in Weymouth Public Schools," Ferreira said. "And within that, she has connections and rapport with teachers, administration, parents."
Ferreira, who served on a previous superintendent search committee, added, "I saw a plethora of candidates from the resume period to the final interviews. And not a single one would I want to bring back for an interview before Melanie."
The committee will now meet in executive session to negotiate contract terms with Curtin.
In other business, Weymouth High School's athletic department reported a record number of student-athletes signing to play college sports.
Athletic Director Rob O'Leary announced that 18 student-athletes have signed letters of intent to play college athletics this year, with potentially more to come.
"Since then, we've had two others and we have one more tomorrow, so we're up over, so we're at 18, which is an astonishing number for a public school," O'Leary said.
He credited the success to the hard work of students and the school's efforts in college recruitment, including the use of video technology to showcase athletes' skills.
"The days of a college coach flying from Ohio to Weymouth has changed because the schools don't have the money to send those people out anymore," O'Leary explained. "So it's really all done by video."
The athletic department is using a platform called Hudl to help students create highlight reels for college recruiters. O'Leary also mentioned bringing in experts to educate families on the recruitment process and college affordability.
"We had a gentleman come out and give a presentation on how to afford college," he said. "Not scholarship wise, this was like, well I guess he did talk about scholarships, but not athletic scholarships. These were like unfounded scholarships that people don't even know about."
The school committee also approved the formation of an athletic subcommittee to improve communication and support for the growing sports programs.
The subcommittee will meet every two months and include key stakeholders such as the athletic director, school administrators, and potentially parent representatives.
Committee members expressed hope that the subcommittee could help address issues like user fees, facility maintenance, and increasing community support for athletics.
"Maybe someday this is my dream catcher that we don't pay to play," said Chair Tracey Nardone. "You know, maybe there's people that want to leave their estate to the athletic. And we never have to worry about user fees."
The next Weymouth School Committee meeting is scheduled for Dec. 19.