 By Carol Britton Meyer
The School Committee is reinstating the practice from last year of holding "office hours" once a month. The purpose of these meetings is to listen to community members' questions, suggestions, and concerns. "Drop-ins" are welcome during the usually 1-1/2-hour meetings, or participants can attend for the entire time. These informal meetings involve a couple of committee members at a time, taking turns. While they may not be able to answer every question, member Tim Miller-Dempsey said recently, any that remain unanswered will be brought to the attention of the committee to be addressed. Whether a meeting will be held remotely or in-person will be determined on a month-by-month basis. Information about the meetings will be broadly shared so the community is aware of when they are happening.  By Carol Britton Meyer
Following a particularly high number of absences among Hingham Public Schools teachers recently, the School Committee decided an increase in the daily pay rate for new and experienced substitute teachers was in order to hopefully attract more applicants due to the current shortage. "We might have eight to 10 teachers out, with only two substitutes available," Interim Supt. of Schools Gary Maestas said. "Our rates of pay are not competitive with neighboring school districts, and we are in direct competition with them." The committee decided to increase the rate of pay per day from $93 to $113 for new teachers and from $105 to $125 for experienced teachers, effective Jan. 3, 2022 through the end of the current school year. In the meantime, the human resources director will check out other school districts to see how the Hingham Public Schools rates compare to theirs and report back to the School Committee, which will decide whether to recommend a further adjustment at a later time. "We are in a crunch. We do need more people [to fill this role]," Chair Kerry Ni said.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
The School Committee unanimously voted on Jan. 5 to enter into contract negotiations with Dr. Margaret Adams as the next Superintendent of the Hingham Public Schools. She will succeed Interim Superintendent Dr. Gary Maestas for the 2022-2023 school year. Adams is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning at Melrose Public Schools, where she has worked for the past 10 years -- eight of those as the Assistant Superintendent and two as the Director for Curriculum. She has also served as Director of Literacy for the Malden Public Schools and Department Head for Bilingual/ESL (English as a Second Language) Services for Brockton Public Schools. The Superintendent Search Committee began its work in September 2021 with 20 applicants, finally narrowing the search to two candidates, including Adams. The other finalist was Dr. Scott Carpenter of the Monomoy Regional School District. "The Committee was impressed with Dr. Adams' student-focused vision, collaborative leadership and mentoring skills, and enthusiasm for creating a positive school culture," School Committee Chair Kerry Ni said. "We are excited to welcome Dr. Adams to our community.”  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
Plans for major improvements to the busy Route 3A corridor along Hingham's harborfront focus on public safety. Benefits to pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists include a shared-use path with a buffer along the waterfront and a permanent "road diet" from Martins Lane to the Hingham Rotary that will reduce the number of traffic lanes from two to one in both directions along this dangerous stretch. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently held a public Zoom hearing about the project, now at the 25 percent design stage. The overall plan includes safety and related improvements along Route 3A, Summer Street and Rockland Street from the intersection of Otis Street and Broad Cove Road south near the Hingham Lobster Pound and east to the intersection of George Washington Boulevard and Rockland Street, including the Hingham Rotary. The planned modifications are also geared toward enhancing the recreational, educational, and commercial opportunities in this area. Hingham's share of the project will be about $819,000 for engineering and construction design costs. MassDOT estimates the actual construction cost at $15.3 million, which will be paid for with state and federal funds -- a great deal for the town, according to Rte. 3A Task Force Chair Judy Sneath. The project is expected to be shovel-ready in 2024, but when the work actually begins depends on the state's Transportation Improvement Program schedule. |
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