ABINGTON - June 22, 2026 - The Abington Select Board took decisive action to support local youth by establishing a new seven-member standing advisory committee to close critical programming gaps. The initiative was catalyzed by an alarming community presentation showing that nearly 10% of surveyed Abington High School students have considered attempting suicide, while local recreational offerings continue to fall significantly behind neighboring South Shore towns.
The Full Story
Melissa Cook and School Committee Chair Melanie Whitney delivered a sobering presentation on behalf of the Teen Center Initiative Committee. Reviewing recent local and statewide metrics, Cook highlighted the problem:
“Between 16 and 25 percent reported feeling so sad or hopeless for two weeks or more that they stopped doing things that they normally do... These are our kids, our neighbors’ kids, kids who walk past us at the grocery store and sit in the bleachers at the same games we attend.” — Melissa Cook
The presentation revealed a sharp disparity between Abington’s structured youth options and its immediate neighbors. While the Abington Recreation Department offers just 11 to 12 summer programs, neighboring Rockland provides 28 and Hanover boasts over 55. Cook stressed that outside of a highly successful middle school drama program and independent sports leagues, local youth who do not make competitive travel teams are left with virtually no structured community options by the 7th or 8th grade.
To address these vulnerabilities, the presenters asked the town to partner on five concrete steps: establishing a centralized community calendar, coordinating volunteer CORI management, exploring a permanent drop-in teen space, creating a path for shared grant resources, and securing reliable gym access. Board members expressed immediate enthusiasm for a unified calendar.
