Hull School Committee Addresses Vaping Concerns, Begins Budget Planning
Administrators implement increased monitoring, education initiatives to combat vaping
HULL, MA - October 7 - The Hull School Committee addressed community concerns about vaping in schools and initiated budget planning for the 2025-2026 fiscal year during its recent meeting.
Superintendent Michael Jette and Hull High School Principal Robert Shaw have taken steps to combat vaping on school grounds in response to community feedback. Jette reported that Shaw has been personally monitoring bathrooms, a common location for vaping activity.
"It's definitely something that is a high priority for us," Jette said. "We want to take the educational opportunity here to make sure that our students understand the dangers of vaping."
The administration plans to continue its efforts and work with the community on the issue. Shaw addressed vaping concerns in a recent high school newsletter, which school committee member Kyle Conley praised.
"I just want to name my appreciation for Mr. Shaw's high school newsletter that addressed a concern that came to the school committee regarding vaping in our schools," Conley said.
In other business, the committee received an update on budget planning for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Diane Saniuk, the District's Business Manager, presented the budget manual outlining the development process.
"It's really hard to believe that we're already talking about FY26," Saniuk said. "But as you know, for most of you, this will be a familiar packet, but the budget is a long process."
The process begins with schools meeting with staff, student councils, and parent councils to determine needs and priorities. The leadership team will review this information over the next few months.
Key dates in the budget development process include:
- Jan. 13: Initial presentation to the school committee
- January-March: Budget discussions at every committee meeting
- March: Meeting with the advisory board
- April: Public hearing
- May 5: Official budget vote at town meeting
Committee members will have opportunities to hear from various department heads, including technology and athletics, around Feb. 11.
The committee also briefly discussed a proposal to end the MCAS graduation requirement. A representative from the Hull Teachers Association, presented a resolution supporting Question 2 on the upcoming ballot, which seeks to remove the high-stakes component of MCAS testing.
"We are federally required to make sure that we're assessing our students each year," the representative said. "This is simply seeking to remove that high-stakes component from the MCAS to allow students to graduate once they have completed all of the coursework."
Committee Chair David Twombly responded that while the committee appreciates the union's efforts to inform the public, they cannot advocate for or against ballot questions due to conflict of interest laws.
"We recognize the importance of this discussion and encourage members of the public to continue today's information gathering over the coming month," Twombly said.
In other news, the committee approved a field trip to Italy for the Project Humanitarian International Club in April 2025. The nine-day trip will include visits to Florence, Venice, Rome, and Assisi.
The committee also heard a presentation on the summer science program, which focuses on watershed education and marine invasive species monitoring.
Jette announced that Hull High School has been approved to join a girls hockey collaborative with seven other schools, providing a new athletic opportunity for students.