Longtime School Committee Chair Honored at Final Meeting After 15 Years of Service
Twombly recognized for dedication to Hull schools while committee approves transportation contract with minimal cost increase
HULL - April 28 - David Twombly chairs his final Hull School Committee meeting Monday, ending a 15-year tenure marked by significant contributions to the district's development and stability.
Committee members and administrators honor Twombly with presentations, gifts, and heartfelt tributes highlighting his extensive service to Hull Public Schools.
"Thank you seems insignificant when considering the amount of time, energy, and hard work that you have put in during your many years on the Hull School Committee," reads a message from absent committee member Regan Yakubian, delivered by Superintendent Michael Jette.
Jette presents a detailed account of Twombly's service, noting his lifelong relationship with Hull schools as both a graduate and longtime contributor to the district.
"You have had a lifelong relationship with the Hull Public Schools. You graduated from Hull High School. You served on the planning board for over a decade," Jette says. "You then served as the director of operations from July of 2006 to July of 2010."
Twombly's school committee service spans from 2010 to 2025, including six years as chair, three as vice chair, three as secretary, and three as a regular member.
His committee work includes 13 years on the paraprofessional negotiations committee, 10 years on custodian negotiations, five years on teacher negotiations, and various other subcommittees.
"You have hired three superintendents," Jette notes, adding that Twombly has "successfully negotiated several teacher, para, custodian, and secretary contracts."
Committee Vice Chair Kyle Conley expresses gratitude for Twombly's mentorship, saying, "Thank you for just being the person that I know that I can always give a call to and we can work through whatever challenge we're facing."
Conley praises Twombly's ability to provide clear guidance: "I feel like you have this incredible ability to see through the distractions of the world and just come up with very clear, pointed advice at any moment."
Twombly receives a proclamation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, presented on behalf of Representative Joan Meschino, recognizing his 15 years of service and commitment to education in Hull.
In his remarks, Twombly reflects on his unexpected journey to the school committee, which began with a phone call asking if he would run.
"If someone would have asked me, like, 40 years ago, 50 years ago, 'Hey, are you going to be on the school committee for 15 years?' I'd be like, 'What are you kidding me?'" Twombly says.
He credits the district's success to its practice of promoting from within, noting several administrators who rose through the ranks from teaching positions.
"We've really tried to hire from within," Twombly says. "Christine has moved right up the ranks. Kyle's moved up the ranks. I mean, this has been so many different people who started out as teachers."
Twombly praises past superintendents, including Kathleen Tyrell, who "took the district to a new level," and Judy Kuehn, who led the district through COVID-19 and school consolidation.
Following the tributes, the committee turns to regular business, approving an eighth-grade field trip to Canobie Lake Park and a new transportation contract.
The three-year transportation contract with First Student includes a 5 percent increase over current costs, which Business Administrator Diane Saniuk describes as favorable compared to other districts.
"As far as this contract represents a 5 percent increase over current year, just some other districts that I've talked to other business administrators, they're looking at eight, nine, 10 percent increases," Saniuk explains.
The contract maintains eight buses primarily needed for the Jacobs School, with options for the district to renew for up to two additional one-year terms.
Conley emphasizes the importance of maintaining the current fleet size: "We have to have the number of buses as we need at the Jacobs. So should a community member see a high school bus that doesn't look like it has very many children in it, it would not be a logical assumption would be, oh, there's too many buses."
Saniuk adds that the elementary school buses are actually full, though it might not appear so: "I would caution some of the Jacobs school children are quite small. So when you see them go by, sometimes you can just barely see the top of their head, but they are full."
The committee also discusses:
* A successful realtor open house event showcasing the schools to 12 local realtors
* Superintendent Jette's annual evaluation, in which he received "proficient" ratings across all standards
* Updates on school safety initiatives, including development of an emergency information pamphlet for parents
* A request for a school committee representative to serve on the town's Master Plan Steering Committee
The meeting concludes with final expressions of gratitude to Twombly, who offers parting advice to the committee: "I'm pretty much handing the ball off to you guys. So make sure you take it and run with it."