 Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
Teachers and nurses willing to work as substitutes in the Hingham Public Schools are in high demand. While there was a bigger-than-usual need for more substitute teachers at the peak of the pandemic, that challenge continues, Interim Supt. of Schools Gary Maestas said recently. Economic and other issues play into these shortages in the public schools, experienced in many communities as well as Hingham. Some individuals aren't comfortable in an environment where there is such a large number of people, he noted as an example. In addition, "Some people are still on unemployment, with other benefits in place, and are weighing that against returning to work," Maestas said. His concern since he was appointed as interim superintendent has been how to minimize absenteeism among students and staff while keeping all members of the school community healthy. "If our numbers were to spike, finding substitutes would be [a real challenge]," he said. Finding qualified school nurses such as the ones who are already employed with the HPS isn't an easy task either, according to Maestas, due to the unique nature of that job, and the pandemic has highlighted this need. Working with lots of kids in a school -- especially with the COVID-19 overlay -- is a different setting from being a nurse in the traditional working realm, he said. Individuals who would like to substitute teach in the Hingham school district or to fill in when there's a need for a school nurse are encouraged to stop by the School Department office in the Town Hall building on Central Street and submit an application.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
The proposed new year-round pool facility at South Shore Country Club is back on the town's radar screen after the SSCC Management Committee's recent submission of a $1 million Community Preservation Act preliminary application as part of the financing package for the roughly $7 million project. Town Meeting earlier approved $500,000 to fund design and construction documents for a new pool. "We expect to submit the final application to the Community Preservation Committee by the deadline, complete with cost estimates currently being compiled by our architecture firm RMD Collaborative," Management Committee Chair Christine Smith said recently. The goal is to present the project at the April 2022 Town Meeting for approval. “The town will be asked to approve funding for anything that doesn’t get paid using CPA funds or other resources, including potential grants and donations,” Smith said. If the CPC recommends the project and the subsequent Town Meeting vote is positive, construction could begin shortly thereafter, resulting in the potential opening of the new pool in Summer 2023.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
Interim Supt. of Schools Gary Maestas shared his top goals for the current school year at a recent School Committee meeting. Of high priority is completing the Hingham Public Schools strategic plan for the future, crafting a budget for the schools for the next fiscal year that will sustain last year's budget increase, assisting in the search for a permanent superintendent, and hopefully bringing the Foster School building proposal to reality. "We may need to ask for an operational override to fund the budget for next year," Maestas explained. Enhancing communication within the district is also a top priority. "I'll be working with my team on a daily basis to accomplish these goals and what's needed to run the school system," he said.  Click here to watch Hingham's Weekly Update By Carol Britton Meyer
The recently-created Sustainable Budget Task Force is charged with the challenging task of developing a five-year "sustainable forecast" that will allow the town to provide services that meet residents’ expectations as well as ongoing expenditure obligations that are in line with projected revenue. The well-rounded task force is comprised of Interim Supt. of Schools Gary Maestas, one member each from the school committee and select board, a Hingham Public Schools administrator, the assistant town administrator for finance, and a former advisory committee chair. The goal is for the task force to report its findings to Town Administrator Tom Mayo in Jan. 2022, when budget discussions for the next fiscal year will be underway. |
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