Weymouth Schools Prepare for New Year with Staff Changes and Facility Additions
District welcomes new athletic director and adds seven modular classrooms while anticipating state policy changes on cell phones and graduation requirements.
WEYMOUTH - August 14 - Weymouth Public Schools begins the 2025-2026 school year with new leadership appointments, expanded classroom capacity, and potential policy changes as the district prepares to welcome students back in September.
The school committee welcomed Kristin Kelly as the new Interim Athletic Director during its Aug. 14 meeting. Kelly brings over a decade of athletic administration experience from Notre Dame Academy to her new role.
"We are just extremely excited about having Kristin join our team," said Superintendent Melanie Curtin, noting that Kelly had already participated in her first athletic subcommittee meeting.
The district is adding seven modular classrooms across three elementary schools to address space needs. Two classrooms each will be installed at Wessagusset, Nash, and Hamilton schools, with one additional classroom bringing the total to seven.
"All the structures are on site, which is like that's half the battle, making sure they get built and delivered," said Brian Smith, assistant superintendent. The goal is to have teachers able to set up their classrooms before students arrive on Sept. 4.
This expansion follows the addition of seven modular classrooms five years ago as part of the Chapman Project when fifth grade moved to elementary schools.
The district faces potential changes from the state regarding cell phone policies and graduation requirements. A cell phone ban has passed the Senate and awaits House approval, with strong support expected.
"It seems like it has a lot of support, so that is conversations that we're already having discussions with," Curtin said. The policy would primarily affect high school operations, requiring phones to be put away from bell to bell rather than just during classroom instruction.
The state has also introduced new language for competency determination, adding U.S. history as a graduation requirement. However, this change would not affect the graduating class of 2027.
"There'll be plenty of discussions on that as we get the year rolling," Curtin said.
The district has streamlined communication for families through a comprehensive back-to-school resource guide available on the website. The guide includes calendar information, Aspen access, transportation details, and before-and-after school programs.
A new email address, info@weymouthschools.org, allows families to contact the district when they're unsure who to reach. The central administration team will direct inquiries to the appropriate department or school.
Transportation applications continue to be accepted, though late applicants may be placed on a waiting list. The district typically transports about 3,000 students and has received approximately 2,600 applications to date.
"In most every year that we have wait lists, transportation works hard to clear that wait list by the second week of school," Smith said.
The school year begins with a staggered start schedule. Sept. 4 marks the first day for grades 1-5, 6, and 9, with half-day sessions. Sept. 5 brings full days for grades 7-8 and 10-12. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students start Sept. 8.
The committee also bid farewell to longtime community liaison Betsy Harris, who retired after 20 years of service connecting schools with the community. Harris received citations from both the mayor's office and town council recognizing her contributions.
"Betsy's dedication to connecting our schools with the community has been nothing short of remarkable," Curtin said. "She has built bridges where we never had bridges."
Acting Mayor Mike Molisse attended the meeting, a rare occurrence that committee members noted with appreciation.
Other updates from the meeting included:
• Federal grant funding for fiscal year 2025 has been finalized, with the district seeing a slight increase in overall grant allocations
• The district organizational chart has been completely updated and is available on the website
• A primary election originally scheduled for Sept. 16 has been canceled, allowing school to proceed as normal that day
• The Jackson Square development project may impact Pingree School operations, with ongoing meetings to assess pedestrian and traffic concerns
• SEPAC will host a virtual meet-the-candidates night for school committee positions on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
The committee approved multiple warrants totaling more than $2.4 million and minutes from previous meetings during routine business.
The next school committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. at the high school.