As a graduate of Amesbury Public Schools, I know the importance of having great teachers, quality school facilities, and programming and curriculum that challenges students and meets their needs. Since I took office, and as chair of the School Committee, a position I was honored to be voted into by my colleagues on the committee, I have focused on supporting our public schools to give the children of Amesbury the education they deserve.
What have we accomplished?
Negotiated and passed a new, fair contract for our teachers, nurses, paraprofessionals, and techs.
Constructed our first new school in almost 50 years, opening Fall 2024, the SGT Jordan Shay Memorial Lower Elementary School.
Delivered local, state, and federal funding for school facility improvements at every school building, including $4M for a new roof on our Middle School.
Secured $625,000 in federal grant funding for PACT supporting youth and connecting them with the community, businesses, and nonprofits prioritizing substance abuse and mental health concerns.
Directed nearly $1 million in CARES Act funding from the City to the School Department during the pandemic for IT, infrastructure, and curriculum.
Formalized ASSET, the Amesbury School Support and Empowerment Team, a group of professionals from Amesbury Public Schools, the Amesbury Police Department, Fire Department, and the Pettengill House to facilitate and coordinate crisis response and fully assess student needs and address them, including mental health supports.
Hired a new Superintendent who is student focused and will lead us into the future.
Provide outside the classroom learning opportunities for brownies, girl scouts, and boy scouts to acquire their leadership and government related badges.
Advocated for additional funding for our schools through formula (CH 70) funding and alternatives (earmarks) with state legislators and officials through visiting the State House, in person, and virtual meetings.
What’s Next?
As a School Committee we are closely watching enrollment and finances for our public schools. We have made it a goal this year to activate a committee for assessing short- and long-term strategies for the success of our district under forecasted budget pressures. This includes the use of our space and our enrollment strategies and partnerships.
It is the responsibility of the School Committee’s to be focused on student achievement. We support this through policy and budgetary decisions. This year we are taking a deep dive into the district math curriculum and piloting different options. We have done this in recent years with our English/Language Arts curriculum and the positive results are clear in our assessment and test results. The School Committee and Superintendent have worked together to reinstate a regular review of curriculum.
We have secured state funding in the FY24 budget to renovate the Cashman School playground for the grades 3 to 5 which will be there starting this year. The design and procurement for this will start right away.
The Superintendent’s contract is up for renewal this year. It is the responsibility of the School Committee to review and hire the Superintendent. As Chair, I will initiate this process and ensure consistency and continued progress for our District.
The Drug Free Communities Grant funding that supports PACT is a 5 year grant with the possibility of renewal for another 5 years. We will be seeking the second 5 years of funding.