Walpole committee hears science curriculum rollout, honors teacher and approves tentative FY26 budget

WALPOLE, Mass. — The Walpole School Committee on Jan. 23 received an update on middle- and high-school science instruction, heard plans for new curriculum and lab use as the district prepares facility renovations, recognized a high-school science teacher for a national award and voted to approve a tentative FY26 budget figure to bring to town budget discussions.

The science presentation, led by Jill Masterson, STEM coordinator at Walpole Middle School, described hands-on, phenomena-based lessons in the district's new middle school labs and a planned three-year rollout of the OpenSciEd curriculum. "The opportunities available for our teachers and our students with the new science lab spaces feel endless," Masterson said. She described grade-level activities ranging from bridge-building and kinetic-energy experiments to magnetic-slime investigations and a liquid-density demonstration in grade 6.

Nut graf: Committee members said the curriculum changes and expanded lab spaces are intended to deepen student inquiry and align science instruction across grades 6–12, but they also noted the rollout will require teacher training and potential grant support to cover materials and professional learning.

Masterson…