Pembroke School Committee Elects New Leadership for 2025-2026
David Boyle unanimously chosen as Chair, with Allison Glennon as Vice Chair and newcomer Katrina Scarscotti as Clerk
PEMBROKE - May 21 - The Pembroke School Committee reorganized its leadership team for the 2025-2026 school year during its May 21 meeting, unanimously electing David Boyle as Chair, Allison Glennon as Vice Chair, and newcomer Katrina Scarziotti as Clerk.
Boyle, who is entering his ninth year on the committee, expressed gratitude for the appointment.
"This is one heck of an honor," Boyle says. "I certainly want to thank Patrick for all his years."
Committee member Susan Bollinger noted the significance of Boyle's election, saying, "Carol would be very proud to see you here. I know it's something that she wanted for you, and you couldn't do it at the time for multiple reasons. I'm just really excited to see you in this role."
In his remarks after the reorganization, Boyle emphasized transparency and community engagement.
"I'd love to see more people in the audience. I think it's great to have people here," Boyle says. "I do get personally frustrated when people say you're trying to do this in secret. Everything's here. It's in black and white. There are no secrets."
The committee also welcomed Scarsciotti as its newest member. As is tradition for new members, she was nominated and elected to serve as Clerk.
"Katrina, I'm not sure if anyone shared with you this is some kind of weird hazing where when it's your first term, you get clerk," Superintendent Erin Obey explained. "Natalie, who's not here this evening, will walk you through everything that you need to know. "
Superintendent Obey presented two proposals for developing a district-wide strategic plan, noting that Pembroke Public Schools has not had such a plan in many years.
"I think last year being our 20th graduating class from Pembroke High School, this is a really good time to do some of that work and get a strategic plan together for the next five years," Obey says.
The first proposal comes from Teaching and Learning Alliance, a local company staffed by retired Massachusetts superintendents and administrators. Their comprehensive approach would cost approximately $20,000, with the ability to split costs over two fiscal years.
"They will manage the process from soup to nuts," Obey explains. "Having an organization that is willing to come in, organize the surveys, collect the data, analyze the data, run the focus groups, put together a report, make us a dashboard to put on our website – they do it all."
The second proposal from Hanover Research, a national organization, would cost significantly more – about $87,000 for research and advisory services, with an additional $22,000 for focus groups.
Obey recommends the Teaching and Learning Alliance option, noting that the local connection and hands-on approach would better serve the committee's needs.
"I think as a newer body of five, you all need the process. You need to go through the surveys, to go through the focus groups, to go through the strategic planning pieces," Obey says. "I think you are going to learn a lot about yourselves as a committee and about the community and about our stakeholders through the process."
If approved, the strategic planning process would begin this summer and conclude by spring 2026.
Obey provided an update on discussions with South Shore Technical High School regarding a potential regional agreement for vocational education.
"I've had a couple of conversations with [Superintendent] Tom Hickey," Obey reports. "He has had the conversation with the regional subcommittee and they're definitely excited about the opportunity to work with Pembroke on a regional agreement."
While the South Shore Tech full committee has not yet discussed the proposal, Hickey hopes to have that conversation by the end of the school year.
Committee member Bollinger noted a significant change in vocational school admissions policies recently approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
"They are going to do a lottery system for admission to vo-tech," Bollinger explains. "If we had 15 seats and had 30 people who wanted to go, we would have to do it by lottery."
Obey clarified that individual vocational districts can propose lottery systems that make sense for their communities, but the change means admissions will no longer be solely merit-based.
The committee also:
- Reviewed a proposed 2.5% increase to the administrative salary grid for fiscal year 2026, taking it as a first read with plans to vote at a future meeting
- Discussed subcommittee assignments, with Chair Boyle planning to have individual conversations with members to determine preferences
- Heard updates on upcoming events, including the Pathways program celebration at Pembroke High School and graduation on May 31 at 10 a.m.
Boyle concluded the meeting by outlining his approach to leadership.
"Check your ego at the door. Let's be transparent," he says. "All I would ask is that we take good care of each other, we take good care of our schools, our children, our administrators, our staff, our faculty. And I'm looking forward to a great year."