[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6279169,"mediaKeyId","2625440-05a4597f04effcebefe9b637577c186b","parentId",2625440,"title","School committee appoints Candace Tharrett as director of student services and special education","audioSeconds",425,"startMs",9627000,"endMs",10052000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2625440-05a4597f04effcebefe9b637577c186b&start=9627&end=10052","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2625440-05a4597f04effcebefe9b637577c186b/thumbnail_9627000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6279169/Tewksbury-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/School-committee-appoints-Candace-Tharrett-as-director-of-student-services-and-special-education","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279169-d81208a90289f09df6bcef6d3499f859/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157060&Signature=PQ1VZZCTB9iVy~DMkK7QZZJXTlpgWRHzWb2nGDVoWyYCxM6PSH9JtNhbSLTKzptOO5hf-29xAtrxEoskcHYShwWTqcsePscmI~Y3iRAWSOUVO~FkiCzu5baPqIXnRSX0jOYvig~ViaVJjSmthPnZaZwqJo4n6ArohQVrdjobhb6c40WSeA8yd87e4XWzwAfr3uVreYVTEkTg8VqtK2F-QwNJw6M8Fz9fTzgFTNml~w46mkIAQ-vKdeIWRIf4g50nrT8y3aKXKUes3OpS~CPlSOiwMrpwD6CWli5sotPZo5J8QrLHMHUYTnZD~vflvqnQpOmalTiU5bCa3PSizCPkHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tewksbury Public Schools, MA","date","2025-03-13T14:11:18Z","article","The Tewksbury School Committee voted on March 11 to appoint Ms. Candace Tharrett as director of student services and special education.

Superintendent Terry Regan presented Ms. Tharrett’s qualifications and work leading behavior services, summer programming, family engagement, and the district’s ABA and inclusion efforts during the past years. Regan described Ms. Tharrett’s leadership on curriculum, internship and in‑house service models and recommended her appointment following an interim period.

After a motion and second, the committee voted by voice/roll call to appoint Ms. Tharrett; the motion carried unanimously. The administration said Ms. Tharrett will continue to implement the special‑education audit recommendations, lead curriculum and training initiatives, and expand the district’s continuum of supports for students with disabilities.

Ending
Ms. Tharrett accepted the appointment and the committee congratulated her before moving on to the rest of the agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Committee - 03/11/2025","oneSentenceSummary","After a recommendation from the superintendent, the committee unanimously voted to appoint Candace Tharrett as director of student services and special education.","taxTitle","Tewksbury Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",38819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6279171,"School committee approves new preschool schedule and $8.50/hour extended‑day rate",3287,6491000,9778000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2625440-05a4597f04effcebefe9b637577c186b&start=6491&end=9778","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2625440-05a4597f04effcebefe9b637577c186b/thumbnail_6491000.jpg","/articles/6279171/Tewksbury-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/School-committee-approves-new-preschool-schedule-and-850hour-extendedday-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279171-a0d0270db271f9791596b8747a2afed4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157060&Signature=Q-x1bMt8bJJS0Y8kzsR14kzpfD3fmw2DxtX0oEIlM5cPGCdE7eL~cJbacILnYFaKWlCU53Lcndl-pne1fhq5J8cPGk9vDX2OJtnJpCz0ZIO-N4hbmA6ercC4I83OadOzDgY2Kp7SRDSqqKXVIgkpPu5r~6MM~I8ZtjvLzUNGukXiT~t4rcyBJTisVXpEtFtIW4I6QZIphQYIt9I8zu42sTQ41eNqZa-cmHQHuCXurst3LTFDVCoVAVMWykZvKGcE6dBZ8Qyl6GL036Re77Jc-zziP1yYT447ItoLKkpl36qgwmk06Z3YcbD0Yv~u9qvPkJBVOlAEqFYg9ErG06CJmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tewksbury school administrators and preschool teachers presented a staff‑led proposal March 11 to restructure preschool scheduling, expand integrated seats and formalize a social‑learning model. The school committee voted to approve the schedule change and to set extended‑day tuition at $8.50 per hour.

The plan, developed by preschool teachers working with building principals and district administrators, aims to give four‑year‑old students a longer morning session (proposed three hours five days a week) to better prepare them for a full‑day kindergarten transition. Three‑year‑old students would attend two hours per day Monday–Thursday, with Friday set aside to balance staffing and family preferences. The restructured arrival and dismissal times also align preschool vans with K–1 arrival (approximately 8:50 a.m.) and dismissal (approximately 3:10 p.m.).

Nut graf: Committee members said the changes are intended to improve inclusion, support better transitions to kindergarten and create space for more tuition‑paying integrated placements while keeping the district’s integrated and substantially separate options for children with higher needs.

Program models and capacity
Administrators described three classroom models: fully integrated classrooms for mixed‑ability groups (up to 15 students, with a typical split of special‑education seats and tuition seats); a social‑learning group that runs integrated mornings and small‑group/ABA‑style afternoons; and a substantially separate classroom for students needing intensive instruction. The Doing School was described as carrying a larger share of preschool enrollment; the proposal keeps the total number of preschool classrooms stable districtwide while shifting how seats are allocated, adding roughly eight additional tuition slots at each school through a converted classroom model.

Funding and community‑service extension
The community‑service extension (extended‑day) program is self‑funded and requires no district operating subsidy. Administration modeled two hourly rates ($8.00 and $8.50) and recommended $8.50 per hour as fiscally responsible while remaining competitive with area programs. Under the $8.50/hour model, example monthly charges presented were: a four‑year‑old attending integrated mornings only, $435/month; with the full extended day included, $995/month. For three‑year‑olds the modeled monthly figures were roughly $245 (integrated morning) and $795 (with extended day) given the Monday–Thursday schedule.

Registration and next steps
If approved, registration steps will begin immediately. The administration planned an email to existing three‑year‑old families and priority re‑registration, a public information session at the library, and a Community Pass registration opening in early April. Building principals and preschool staff will track enrollment and implementation through the school year and report back to the committee.

Committee action
The school committee approved the revised preschool day (new start/stop times aligning with K–1) by voice/roll‑call vote and approved the $8.50/hour extended‑day tuition rate by roll‑call vote; both motions passed unanimously.

Ending
Administrators and preschool staff told the committee they will monitor enrollment, program operations and space needs, and return with updates. Community‑service extension revenue projections and a small operating cushion were presented as part of the staffing and sustainability analysis.","After a staff-led design process, the committee approved extended preschool hours to align with K–1 schedules and set an $8.50/hour community‑service extension rate; the plan adds integrated seats and formalizes social‑learning and substantially separate models.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6279173,"Tewksbury business manager frames FY26 school budget as special-education costs rise",2407,49000,2456000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2625440-05a4597f04effcebefe9b637577c186b&start=49&end=2456","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2625440-05a4597f04effcebefe9b637577c186b/thumbnail_49000.jpg","/articles/6279173/Tewksbury-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/Tewksbury-business-manager-frames-FY26-school-budget-as-special-education-costs-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279173-db578ec916c524030a991b0ee4dbd831/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157060&Signature=ne~3BOwhlxP01Br6rqlpQpvkItkntuFhfEZDgqZ-STGLsElLHhm6d8dYrtr04Xgjjq3J3xsQuHjWvpKecjL-H9HoJ1fLmJBmPDqDZhaDzyMoFZdAXIWcEKVi~Ek3gy3rrlw58Qns-i0o4L-Fk52Leh1Yz7Rc6vqArdAqy~YAE4ZZ691laGdimtHTd-RYvGF9xZV~JPhEzR96LIB7Ln1iNX94zLKotdoTG9C92oAlXsrjrO3Hb-I5Xs8KdJH-bs7LLTmCBS6nMLE3eZPbDHBhBH48tkfB2G3Fg7l0PRwLpy0YMDi0jw3ZjW7Ye4URu4lsJo4ziwXdtCtw~u8KAegQeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Business manager Mr. Libby presented the Tewksbury Public Schools proposed FY26 budget at a public hearing on March 11, describing a working budget that will continue to change before final town-meeting approval in May.

Mr. Libby said the district arrived at a budget request representing a 4.14% increase in school operating costs from the current year and that, when fixed costs and debt are included, the overall year-over-year change is 3.63%. He described salary, operating and capital outlay as the three district-controlled parts of the budget and noted fixed costs such as health insurance and retirement are managed with the town.

The presentation focused on three near-term pressures: higher out-of-district tuition and transportation costs, growing special-education needs, and a temporary reduction in capital outlay funding. Mr. Libby told the committee that tuition spending will rise in FY26 and that the district baked a 3.67% increase to state-set out-of-district tuition rates into the draft budget. He also described a planned increase in the budgeted tuition line and substantial use of the state “circuit breaker” reimbursements to offset high-cost special-education placements.

Nut graf: The budget hearing highlighted that rising special-education and transportation expenses, combined with uncertain grant revenues, are the principal factors pushing the request higher and changing how the district plans to fund building projects.

Key details and context
- Circuit breaker and tuition: Mr. Libby explained the circuit breaker program reimburses a portion of high-cost special-education expenses and that the district’s net claim has increased. For FY25 the district saw a significant allocation but noted the state reimbursed educational expenses at about 75% while trimming the transportation component to roughly 44% this year; the district used that lower transportation reimbursement in its FY26 planning. Mr. Libby said the tuition budget line was increased and that circuit-breaker activity produced large swings year to year.
- Title I and grant risk: The superintendent’s team said the district received a warning the Title I allocation could be reduced by about $170,000; the district is planning conservatively for that reduction while noting the warning did not yet become a final cut.
- Capital and E-rate: The presentation described a deliberate move to shift much capital outlay out of the operating budget for FY25–FY26, making future projects subject to town-meeting warrant articles. Mr. Libby recommended seeking funding at the May town meeting for an E-rate-funded wireless access-point upgrade across schools; he said the federal/state E-rate program would cover a share of the cost and reduce the district’s up‑front expense.
- Staffing and contracting: The district plans to convert some contracted classroom aides to employees where feasible, move some special-education programming between primary schools, and implement recommendations from a recent independent special-education audit. Mr. Libby said salary and step/longevity changes remain the largest single budget driver.

What officials asked
School committee members pressed on circuit-breaker assumptions and whether the district’s FY26 plan assumes the same lower transportation reimbursement from the state. Mr. Libby said the district modeled FY26 using the 44% transportation reimbursement used in FY25 because the state trimmed the transportation share in response to a claims surge.

Next steps
Mr. Libby said the school committee will continue line-item reviews with building principals and department heads, finalize the budget with the town manager and finance committee, and present warrant articles for capital projects at the May town meeting. He said detailed account-level reports and cost-center summaries are posted on the school business office web page.

Ending
The public hearing closed after committee questions; no formal district spending vote was taken at the hearing. The committee and administration reiterated they will continue refining the FY26 request ahead of town‑meeting consideration in May.","At a March 11 public hearing the district presented a FY26 budget request that would raise the school share of town spending and shift how capital projects are funded, while warning of rising special-education and transportation costs and uncertainty in federal and state grants.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

School committee appoints Candace Tharrett as director of student services and special education

School committee approves new preschool schedule and $8.50/hour extended‑day rate

Tewksbury business manager frames FY26 school budget as special-education costs rise