Updates and Announcements: November 2019

  • Town Meeting Overwhelmingly approves Warrant Article 4, Moves Driscoll School Building Project Forward
    On Tuesday, November 19, Brookline Town Meeting Members overwhelmingly voted in favor of appropriating construction funds to the Driscoll School Building Project. With the passage of Warrant Article 4, the Public Schools of Brookline has reached an important milestone in their long-term capital plan to address overcrowded classrooms and other sub-standard school facilities.

    School Committee Member David Pearlman was on hand to present a strong case for moving forward, while Interim Superintendent Ben Lummis also provided support and answered questions regarding the district's concerns on overcrowding and substandard spaces. Ultimately, the 203-13 vote allocates $115.3M to the project and allows the Driscoll School Building Committee and architects to prepare for the construction process.

    With the cost estimates tentatively set and agreed upon, the Town of Brookline must now agree to fund this project through a debt exclusion override. Voters may approve this override during a special town election held on December 10.

    As it currently stands, the building project would renovate and expand the current Driscoll School into a 4-section building (i.e., 4 classrooms per grade level), provide additional learning spaces for special education programs, and increase outdoor playspace by 24,500 square feet. To learn more about the Driscoll School Building Project, please click here.

    Seeking Volunteers to serve on the Superintendent Search Public Advisory Committee
    The Public Schools of Brookline’s Superintendent Search Committee is seeking volunteers to serve on a committee that will assist the Search Committee in selecting the next Superintendent of the Public Schools of Brookline. The SSPAC’s work will include assisting in the development of district goals for the hiring of a new superintendent, reviewing candidate resumes, participating in candidate interviews and recommending potential finalist candidates to the Search Committee.

    The Search Committee anticipates that the SSPAC may meet at least once a week during the months of January and February 2020 (and possibly once or twice in December of 2019) for approximately 2 hours per meeting. The SSPAC will be subject to the Massachusetts open meeting and ethics laws (including, without limitation, the laws pertaining to the confidentiality of executive sessions). 

    Applicants should send application letters by email to Robin Coyne at robin_coyne@psbma.org by December 5, 2019. To learn more about the Superintendent Search process, please click here.
     

    Bee-lievers in Change honored as Keynote Speakers
    For their work in leading the Coolidge Corner School Naming Process, the Bee-lievers in Change student committee was chosen to deliver the keynote address at the annual School Reform Initiative (SRI) meeting on November 7. Hosted at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge, over 350 educators from around the country heard our students speak on their experiences in engaging the Brookline community in this important process. Thunderous applause and a standing ovation showered the students as they finished their presentation. Coolidge Corner School principal Mrs. Buller and Vice Principal Mr. Ola were in awe of the confidence and strength the students exhibited as they presented their impactful work. Congratulations to the students on this well-deserved recognition!

    For a summary of the CCS naming process, please click here. For an overview of the work of the Bee-lievers in Change student committee, please click here.

    2020-2021 Kindergarten Information Sessions
    The Public Schools of Brookline is hosting four informational sessions for parents and guardians looking to register their children for Kindergarten in the 2020-2021 school year! Stop by any of the sessions to learn more about PSB, the registration process, school options, application deadlines, and connect with other families! It is an exciting time for you and your family as your child gets ready for kindergarten and we look forward to welcoming you! These sessions are open to the general public - no RSVP required. Children are also welcome to attend. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Registration and Enrollment through enroll@psbma.org

    Upcoming Concerts and Events from the Friends of Performing Arts
    Did you know that over 700 Brookline High School students will participate in our Performing Arts classes this year? The performing arts team launched the 2019-2020 season with the 9th-grade production of Alice in Wonderland on Wednesday, October 30. This was followed by the department’s annual Shakespeare production - Hamlet - which premiered on Wednesday, November 6. We encourage you to take the time to come out and see our students in their amazing productions throughout the school year - especially with our traditional Winter Concert coming up soon! Visit www.brooklinefopa.org to buy tickets and learn more about our program.