Hingham School Committee Appoints Three Members to New Building Committee
Receives Updates on Special Education and Plymouth River School
HINGHAM - October 6 - The Hingham School Committee appointed three community members to serve on the newly created 2025 Hingham School Building Committee and received comprehensive reports on special education services and Plymouth River Elementary School’s improvement initiatives at its October 6, 2025 meeting.
The Full Story
The school committee voted unanimously to appoint Brian Mulkerrin, Shane Nolan, and Angela Thedinga to the seven-member 2025 Hingham School Building Committee. This committee was established by town meeting earlier this year as a continuation of the 2017 building committee that oversaw the Foster Elementary School construction and Plymouth River School window project. The school committee selected its three appointees from a strong pool of applicants, joining two appointments each from the Select Board and the town moderator. Committee members expressed appreciation for the robust community response to the call for volunteers.
The committee received an extensive entry plan presentation from Dr. Christine Panarese, the district’s new Executive Director of Student Services, who has been with Hingham for approximately 90 days. Dr. Panarese’s data-driven presentation revealed significant trends in the district’s special education population and student achievement. The percentage of students with disabilities in Hingham has increased dramatically from 13.6 percent in 2021 to 18.6 percent in 2025, even as overall enrollment has declined. This represents a substantial shift in the student population requiring specialized services.
Dr. Panarese identified concerning achievement gaps between students with and without disabilities, particularly at the high school level. In grades three through eight, 85 percent of students without disabilities meet or exceed expectations in English Language Arts, compared to only 35 percent of students with disabilities. The mathematics gap, while still significant, shows more promise. Student growth data revealed encouraging trends, with students with disabilities demonstrating growth rates closer to their non-disabled peers in mathematics. However, grade 10 achievement data showed students with disabilities continuing to lag significantly behind their peers.
“The month of October is National Principals Month, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our HPS principals for their leadership, dedication, and impact on students,” said Superintendent Katie Roberts in her report. She also announced that author Lisa Damour will present on “The Emotional Life of Teenagers” on October 23rd at 6:30 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium.
Dr. Panarese outlined her vision for the Office of Student Services, stating: “The Hingham Office of Student Services embraces a philosophy to provide high-quality, individualized, inclusive learning opportunities where all children with disabilities and their families experience belonging and a shared sense of responsibility in the development and education of their child so that they can reach their fullest potential in life.”
The presentation revealed that a primary concern identified through listening sessions before and after Dr. Panarese’s arrival was a lack of trust in the special education department. School Committee member Matt Cosman noted that rebuilding trust is “the single biggest issue” facing special education. Dr. Panarese has already implemented several initiatives to address this, including transitioning to new legal counsel, partnering with Landmark and the New England Center for Children, and establishing clear communication protocols for Extended School Year (ESY) programming.
One parent, Diane DiNapoli, expressed gratitude during public comment: “I have seen a change in what has been possible in Hingham. I’m not just saying, you know, I like you. You’re a wonderful lady, but I’ve seen things actually happen. So I appreciate that. I have some hope, which, you know, is sometimes challenging when you have a child or children with disabilities.”
Another significant issue raised concerned late notification for ESY acceptance. Dr. Panarese responded that she has implemented new data collection forms and a timeline ensuring parents will be notified no later than April, with some receiving notification as early as their child’s IEP meeting in fall or winter. She explained that transportation and staffing considerations require earlier planning than occurred last year.
The committee also received a mid-cycle update on Plymouth River Elementary School’s improvement plan from Principal Greg Lamothe. The school continues implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, completed its three-year partnership with the UDL Academy, and restructured its master schedule to provide enhanced support for students. The new schedule allows two special educators to serve each grade level band, creating flexibility for service delivery and collaborative problem-solving.
Plymouth River has joined the Social Emotional Behavior Academy, focusing on implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) strategies. Principal Lamothe explained: “Instead of saying like, Johnny, stop rolling around on the rug, it would be like, oh, I see that Sarah’s sitting on the rug and she’s ready to learn, right? So you’re not looking at the negative, you’re focusing on the positive.”
The school is launching a “One School, One Book” initiative with the book “Be a Tree,” which uses the metaphor of interconnected forest ecosystems to teach students about community, collaboration, and supporting one another. Principal Lamothe quoted from the author’s statement: “If we behave like trees in the forest by protecting each other and sharing resources of all kinds, the world would be a much better place.” Specialists are developing interdisciplinary lessons connecting to English Language Arts, science, art, and social-emotional learning standards.
Plymouth River has implemented enhanced literacy interventions, using all six specialists to support first grade in “walk to read” groups, creating smaller instructional groups with three adults per classroom. Second grade received similar support based on data showing additional need. The school is also using its computer science specialist to provide enrichment opportunities for advanced learners through project-based learning.
In financial matters, the committee unanimously approved the fiscal year 2025 end-of-year budget summary, which showed a zero available balance. This outcome reflected careful budget management throughout the year by Business Manager Aisha Oppong and district leadership.
The committee updated salary negotiation subcommittee assignments for three bargaining units. Michelle Ayer and Kerry Ni will continue negotiations with Unit E, Michelle Ayer and Jen Benham will handle Unit C negotiations, and Kerry Ni and Alyson Anderson will negotiate with the school bus and van drivers association. The committee agreed to allow flexibility for substitute members to attend specific sessions when appointed members cannot be present.
Superintendent Roberts noted concerns about the reliability of grade 10 MCAS data following the elimination of the graduation requirement. Statewide data showed dramatic declines in student participation and effort, with the state tracking metrics such as time spent on essays revealing significantly reduced engagement. Roberts indicated the district would rely more heavily on internal assessment data and that K-8 MCAS data remained robust.
Why It Matters
The appointment of experienced community members to the School Building Committee represents an important step in planning for the district’s facility needs. The comprehensive special education entry plan presentation provides transparency about current challenges and establishes a foundation for improvement. The significant increase in the percentage of students requiring special education services has budgetary implications and requires careful resource allocation. Achievement gap data, particularly at the high school level, signals the need for enhanced instructional strategies and support systems. Plymouth River’s systematic approach to positive behavior support and literacy intervention demonstrates the district’s commitment to evidence-based practices that benefit all students, not just those with identified disabilities.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Approve minutes of September 29, 2025 meeting with minor corrections. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:02:02)
Motion: Approve and accept the Plymouth River School Improvement Plan for 2024-2026. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:18:52)
Motion: Appoint Brian Mulkerrin, Shane Nolan, and Angela Thedinga to the 2025 Hingham School Building Committee. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:25:47)
Motion: Update salary negotiation subcommittee assignments for Units E and C and school bus and van drivers association. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:29:57)
Motion: Accept the end of year fiscal year 2025 budget summary showing zero available balance. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 1:32:05)
Motion: Adjourn to executive session, not to return to open session, for purposes of approving executive session minutes and conducting collective bargaining strategy. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Roll call vote, all members voted in favor. (Timestamp: 1:38:43)
Public Comment
Diane DiNapoli of Gardner Street expressed appreciation for Dr. Panarese’s work and noted positive changes she has observed in special education services. She emphasized the importance of continued work on trust-building at all levels and requested more information about high school graduation requirements and post-graduate opportunities including partnerships with Bridgewater State University. Another community member raised concerns about late notification for Extended School Year program acceptance, which was addressed by outlining new procedures to ensure earlier parent notification.
What’s Next
The newly appointed School Building Committee will meet for an orientation session to identify member strengths and select a chair and vice chair. Dr. Panarese will continue her “next 90 days” deep dive into special education data, conducting root cause analysis in collaboration with school principals and team chairs. Plymouth River School will finalize its Positive Behavior Intervention and Support award system and conduct student surveys about school climate. The joint School Committee and Student Advisory Council meetings are scheduled for October 30, December 4, February 5, April 9, and June 4. The next School Committee meeting is scheduled for October 27, 2025 at 6:30 p.m., followed by November 10, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. Author Lisa Damour will present on “The Emotional Life of Teenagers” on October 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. The Educational Programming Subcommittee will meet October 15 at 4:30 p.m. to review beginning-of-year data including MCAS results.