Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Summer Boost Literacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wareham officials discuss major expansion of summer BOOST literacy program
Summary
School leaders presented plans to expand the district's summer BOOST literacy program from about 60 slots to as many as 240, request postings for additional teachers and Wilson-trained staff, and flagged budget and transportation needs tied to FY26 funding.
The Wareham School Committee on March 6 heard a detailed proposal to expand the district's summer BOOST literacy program to reach more students who are below grade-level in reading.
Principal (Wareham Elementary School) told the committee that winter assessment data show “a total of a hundred students, K through 4, that are in the red,” and that current BOOST staffing — four teachers serving 15 students each (about 60 total) — is far short of the need. She said the district is proposing to post for eight BOOST teachers so the program could serve roughly 240 students, and to add Wilson-trained reading staff to support students with more severe deficits.
Why it matters: Committee members and administrators said summer literacy support can prevent the “summer slide” and help students arrive at middle school better prepared. Expanding BOOST would require more personnel, at least one additional bus for transportation and funding decisions tied to the FY26 budget.
Details of the proposal and debate
Under the version presented, BOOST would run five weeks from July 7 through Aug. 7 and operate in AM and PM cohorts so the same classrooms can serve more students. The elementary principal said the current design runs “a full day program for these 15 students” and advocated shifting to an AM/PM model to double capacity under existing spaces while seeking funding for further expansion. She said one Wilson-trained teacher would cost approximately $4,300 and that the district’s “dream” staffing would include two Wilson-trained teachers plus eight BOOST teachers overall.
Jane Fondoulis, identified in the discussion as the CARE program coordinator who has long administered summer care funding for BOOST, described how the program is structured: 2.5 hours of intensive literacy instruction plus project-based enrichment, 4 days per week for five weeks, to meet the program’s original intent of roughly 100 hours of instruction.
Superintendent Dr. DeAndrea said the district has received preliminary news that the town will provide “a little bit more money than they anticipated for FY '26 — a hundred and $59,514 more,” and that the administration is working with the finance office to determine how that affects the FY26 budget and whether it can support BOOST expansion. She cautioned that the district must still finalize budget numbers and will report back at a future meeting.
School Committee response and next steps
Committee member Mr. Swett expressed strong support: “I can also tell you with a great deal of confidence that … those 240 kids deserve to get to Tracy in the middle school, proficient in reading.” Other members asked for specifics on transportation and possible grant opportunities; administrators said they are exploring grant funding and internal reallocations and will return with more precise cost estimates.
No formal vote was taken on staffing or program expansion at the March 6 meeting; the item remains a proposal contingent on funding and board approval in a later budget cycle. Administrators said they will post the additional positions they have secured funding for (four BOOST teachers and one Wilson-trained teacher) and continue to pursue funding for the remaining hires.
Ending
Administrators asked the committee for support in pursuing the staffing and funding changes and said they will return with refined cost estimates, grant options and a transportation plan tied to the FY26 budget process.
