[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6280343,"mediaKeyId","2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1","parentId",2615689,"title","Holliston students, parents urge pause on rushed AB schedule change","audioSeconds",4316,"startMs",1038000,"endMs",5354000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1&start=1038&end=5354","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1/thumbnail_1038000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6280343/Massachusetts/Holliston-students-parents-urge-pause-on-rushed-AB-schedule-change","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280343-2f7be24631c866c3155ae06df0d2d0af/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078439&Signature=lO2e8TmPXW44Ht6CGA8c6VFKMZbcsrGVwbfE8h~BGCSYN3k1xZckI5qvFk3ajywMVNDwtk2RAKjB0khUGMt8VPfH5LT~s6YBxfgO18OIR7EYmOAocEk87wZxMdhX~2Aagd8GJjOcmoDj2hNF8GjpvTG4krUsnCvqnjTnXJO~1hhlZlUv63NHqND1hzT6u8qEuK2gTkKl91O5tE9YR7yeGUMgNh3~Z1vCgoxbIF-Rttj79gDiI~w9J~UeljoSy868UnmKZvud2td2n-GzCWXdKiGYbwrsTAzApCKDr2xPZ6vrcsJtqkqKHkC0B1LepeH9pICpRoVLnx-9Ht8zttdJSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Holliston Public Schools, MA","date","2025-03-13T22:43:02Z","article","Students, parents and some teachers on March 13 told the Holliston School Committee that a planned change at Holliston High School to an alternating two‑day, eight‑block schedule is being implemented too quickly and will increase student workload and stress.

Student speakers said the district’s outreach and guidance on how the new schedule will affect course selection, Advanced Placement classes and students with disabilities has been inconsistent. “The vast majority of students believe that we have not had our voices heard,” said Steven Lima, a junior, later quoting prior remarks he said were made at a meeting: “general consensus is the current schedule is awful.” Oliver Brown, a junior who circulated a petition opposing the AB plan, said more than 100 students signed and that many worry the change will increase homework and fragment learning.

The school committee chair acknowledged the concerns and said the committee would press administration for better communication. “We are listening. We are hearing,” Cynthia, School Committee chair, said, adding that the committee would return student comments to school leaders and explore adjustments that might reduce anxiety.

Teachers and staff offered mixed perspectives. Sean Bilodeau, the high‑school band director, said the scheduling committee had worked for months on a framework to increase elective access and more consistent instructional time; he said union negotiation issues narrowed the options available. Tracy Flecker, a parent and teacher, urged students to attend meetings and “think for yourselves,” saying many districts that use similar schedules manage them successfully.

Administrators said they will continue scheduled meetings and counseling sessions to help students choose classes. Mr. List, the high‑school administrator conducting schedule workshops, has run presentations for parents and students and will be available for small‑group and individual meetings, committee members said. Course selection opens March 21 and closes April 4; counselors will join students during the week of March 24 to review selections, the committee said.

Students and parents asked for concrete mitigations — for example, limiting seniors to seven credits if needed, adding optional study blocks or reducing the weight of final exams — and for clear, centralized survey results. The committee agreed to ask administration for specific next steps it can take in the coming week and to hold informal office hours and a public session after the administration’s March 19 presentation so families can ask individual scheduling questions.

The committee did not change the implementation timeline during the meeting; members emphasized that many of the technical steps to build schedules in PowerSchool have already begun and that reversing course could require a reset of work already under way.

The committee encouraged students who had not yet spoken to send written comments to the full committee so administrators can address specific schedule impacts before course selection closes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Committee Meeting - 3/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Students, parents and teachers told the Holliston School Committee on March 13 that the district's upcoming AB (alternating two‑day, eight‑block) high‑school schedule is being implemented too quickly and with insufficient communication.","taxTitle","Holliston Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71610,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6280328,"Votes at a glance: committee approves job descriptions, school‑year dates and MSBA Statement of Interest",10258,925000,11183000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1&start=925&end=11183","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1/thumbnail_925000.jpg","/articles/6280328/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-committee-approves-job-descriptions-schoolyear-dates-and-MSBA-Statement-of-Interest","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280328-9722bafd980179558c8cd96e695ce2b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078439&Signature=jRUW0ZJ1kOtrjNsgDSJwd0RfMih~R4~hTIY-rfdTP4k1Z6JJ56kpc3ccKPKtYTRGEDdtLeNjlERw~PJIkkeAGUocNcBJbv3GA7E-ckd068b~3gGtKLRhWn0y8QDGEFeDTgTSCFXYo~v~ck3btQKCUHTmELgWQe9mCLH0f7u~E4B6P7QhKR8hrDgsaSYwxC3KAkyYDB2oBD2RaPsd2Pe~4J0HX32NECsCb-PMhpmYczdSVhtRxuWrjXkhnOVNDl~YzVl6FSEdIkyhnEpLl6~FHUac4kmBm~fgK5cQTrQFRdbUYCuSNPiOqzdbJcuY~sjKfv-~tSqMWTlqoKGVFyJu4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Holliston School Committee recorded several formal actions during its March 13 meeting.

- Job descriptions: The committee approved three updated food‑service job descriptions — cafeteria general worker, kitchen manager and assistant kitchen manager — after administration provided revised language. The committee voted unanimously to approve the three job descriptions.

- School calendar: The committee set the last day of the 2024–25 school year as June 23, 2025, as a half‑day for students. Committee members said the date was necessary to finalize the calendar amid contractual and PD scheduling constraints.

- MSBA Statement of Interest: The committee voted to authorize the superintendent to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for Holliston High School. The motion included a formal acknowledgment that filing an SOI does not guarantee MSBA approval or funding. The vote was taken by roll call and carried 7–0 (Frank: yes; Hillary: yes; Joe: yes; Sarah: yes; Cynthia: yes; Dawn: yes; Dan: yes).

- Executive session: The committee voted by roll call to enter executive session to discuss bargaining strategy; the meeting adjourned to executive session from which members did not return to open session.

The committee recorded no other final votes on FY26 budget numbers at the March 13 meeting; the budget subcommittee recommended a bottom line and scheduled a final vote for March 27.","At the March 13 meeting the Holliston School Committee approved three updated cafeteria job descriptions, set the last day of school as June 23, 2025 (half day), and authorized submission of a Statement of Interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for Holliston High School; the SOI vote passed by roll call, 7–0.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6280332,"District technology director updates committee on PowerSchool breach response, cybersecurity and AI tools",623,6030000,6653000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1&start=6030&end=6653","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1/thumbnail_6030000.jpg","/articles/6280332/Massachusetts/District-technology-director-updates-committee-on-PowerSchool-breach-response-cybersecurity-and-AI-tools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280332-63a8640979a15c5ea444d16f7d2339dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078439&Signature=hogI2XqePy847pIaM7ZzIpY-AHgYwW-J-nSrQS3YIEBrgE9nGwGsKWqj9En2Y1unMnJkNFS~DGJkdsz2uJHmTMoUpDf2khbABSabuiuyfwgu7-WeVC3BvnN38~gZwC-Ns22OYmdDCtTMxWKl0s3N7y3eGvS~7v4wzAUkDvwi2py8ezkLRmYrNdR8cwGvidFjhZk9jIa7o-ai~zCo7819~TsgfgNHIp1oPes~~SPDiTmXbv49vNM2LpSyNIsYnqCJK25LQuRI0OCnjYBDs4JoAlzYIkYW9B2Abem30JMlRvrPZW88C39wEkYv~LvuQ5JHcwUA-G-p~ZMxJiiWDnVmAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The district’s technology director updated the Holliston School Committee on March 13 about the recent PowerSchool data‑security incident, steps the district has taken and planned investments in cybersecurity and classroom technology.

The district has been monitoring PowerSchool’s post‑incident CrowdStrike report and is offering identity‑protection enrollment (through Experian) to affected families; the director said district families can enroll even if they did not receive a direct Experian email. The director recommended the district consider a future decision about joining possible class‑action litigation but said that would follow legal counsel and further information.

To reduce phishing risk and accelerate incident response, the technology office seeks Google Workspace Plus for Education. The director said the product would allow the district to rapidly withdraw a malicious email from inboxes when staff report it and also offers Google Classroom integrations that can sync grades back to PowerSchool and reduce duplicated teacher work.

The district is auditing Wi‑Fi and device access. The goal is to make user devices visible and manageable on the network and move away from unmanaged BYOD reliance. The technology director said the capital request includes $75,000 for Wi‑Fi upgrades supported by federal E‑rate Category 2 funds; the committee expects about a 40% rebate on that amount.

The director also previewed AI tools: the district is exploring a walled‑garden deployment of Google’s Gemini for users 13 and older; under the proposed configuration, student inputs would remain within the district environment rather than training external models. The director warned about AI‑strengthened phishing and said the new Google product will help the district withdraw suspicious messages quickly.

Other capital items mentioned during the budget presentation — also relevant to technology planning — include Chromebook replenishment for grades 5 and 8 and a forecasted $60,000 for replacing school iPads as Apple phases models out.

The committee asked for implementation details and for parent consent plans tied to classroom services that include video and captioning; the director said the district will propose parental‑consent workflows for tools such as YouTube and plan additional communications about implementation timelines.","Holliston’s technology director briefed the school committee on the PowerSchool data‑security incident, district mitigation steps, a planned Google Workspace upgrade to support phishing response and grade sync, and exploratory use of AI tools for students aged 13 and older within a controlled environment.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6280338,"School committee previews FY26 budget: $44.6 million bottom line, capital requests include auditorium lighting and Wi‑Fi upgrades",154,1529000,1683000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1&start=1529&end=1683","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615689-8d319530171948d4e9531f957d715dc1/thumbnail_1529000.jpg","/articles/6280338/Massachusetts/School-committee-previews-FY26-budget-446-million-bottom-line-capital-requests-include-auditorium-lighting-and-WiFi-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280338-ed57c3c81392f0b776f2f13683cb0fe2/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078439&Signature=ksA3UzbWO63q3ZywyDn48v8NDuoyKEbaJnugpwDR-ciRzSg5nEiQrhBqOoYqg~Sh1MFJrLcKUZ3MYUey7sMlNNsbgK78Jj6OsRY-2JmOjHPq0aa84ebG~5tX6~dwhQG-2YZC4WxNdP~53i0Wc1spjS6z4cYpUyToAxiPGBkPtI1msfivJ-h3zhINwxmjBNLtG3z6PSbQWd8j6E6nGeRfUIMBWz5kI498X57nIHqGbfwNnXJ942WYc0AYzFZ~GTkCe4tacTYG80dnhYAyvq96LsCWw6Ug3qbU0GYXxACG-fJIz8wvx2vdcauOtWcOgtBrzT9FdkTAyOUSkc7V-gyEIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Holliston School Committee’s budget subcommittee on March 13 said it will recommend a FY26 operational budget request of $44,583,832, a $1.6 million increase over FY25 (about 3.75%). The committee said it remains committed to meeting the spending commitments made during last fall’s tax override while working through several moving pieces and outstanding state revenue figures.

“Specifically, our final recommendation will be presented on 3/27 with all the details, and we’ll vote at that time,” the budget subcommittee said during its presentation. The subcommittee reported new information since Superintendent Dr. Kuskka’s earlier budget presentation and listed major cost drivers including contractual employee costs, district transportation tied to new start times, special‑education transportation increases, custodial services, technology subscriptions, utilities and athletics.

The subcommittee noted changes from earlier projections: a smaller than expected decline in special‑education costs (a current decrease of $9,000 versus an earlier projected decline of $700,000 once prior one‑time town support is netted), and an estimated net special‑education tuition reduction of $884,000 elsewhere in the budget. The committee flagged a potential risk tied to Norfolk Aggie enrollments; the district budgeted for four new enrollments but had nine applicants, and each additional student would cost roughly $30,000.

Capital requests supported by the subcommittee total about $1,029,000 and include $75,000 for Wi‑Fi equipment upgrades at both middle and high schools (the federal Category 2 E‑rate funding will likely rebate about 40 percent, lowering net cost), $99,000 for auditorium lighting at the high school, $75,000 for exterior door replacements, $30,000 in additional high‑school supplies tied to implementing schedule changes, and roughly $750,000 to finish a two‑thirds roof replacement at the Rams building (doing the full remaining work at once reduces costs by about $100,000 versus splitting the project).

Transportation was highlighted as an operational pressure. The committee said it had an estimate from the district’s bus provider that currently sits below the earlier projections but noted additional needs such as smaller buses could raise costs. The committee also discussed circuit breaker (special‑education) reimbursements and said the district had been applying prior year circuit breaker receipts to current needs and would begin using the most recently received amounts in the next fiscal year.

Members emphasized they are working to avoid layoffs and to use attrition and reassignment where possible: “The expectation is that it will not result in any job eliminations,” a school committee member said, while acknowledging the staffing picture depends on retirements, enrollment bubbles and upcoming negotiation outcomes.

The detailed budget recommendation and final TBD items will return to the committee on March 27 for a vote.","The budget subcommittee recommended a FY26 operational request of $44,583,832 (a 3.75% increase) and presented capital priorities including $75,000 for Wi‑Fi upgrades (with an expected 40% rebate), $99,000 for auditorium lighting, exterior doors, high‑school supplies tied to schedule change, and funds to complete Rams roof work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Holliston students, parents urge pause on rushed AB schedule change

Votes at a glance: committee approves job descriptions, school‑year dates and MSBA Statement of Interest

District technology director updates committee on PowerSchool breach response, cybersecurity and AI tools

School committee previews FY26 budget: $44.6 million bottom line, capital requests include auditorium lighting and Wi‑Fi upgrades