Pembroke principals outline FY26 elementary priorities; district proposes one-classroom social-emotional program to curb out-of-district placements

Elementary principals and district staff presented the Pembroke School Committee with FY26 priorities that emphasize sustaining reading specialists, expanding behavior supports and piloting a substantially separate social-emotional classroom intended to keep students in-district.

The presentation outlined stable enrollment projections across the three elementary schools; the principals asked the committee to maintain previously funded priorities—most notably 1.0 full-time reading specialists at each elementary school—and to consider funding behavior-focused staff and a pilot program for students with higher social-emotional needs.

Why it matters: The district says early, in-district interventions—reading specialists, math intervention and expanded social-emotional supports—reduce special-education referrals and long-term out-of-district placements, which can be substantially more costly and separate children from their homes and communities.

Enrollment and staffing

Principals reported enrollment and class-size projections showing little year-to-year movement. The presentation said kindergarten registration will continue to refine FY26 staffing decisions through March. Administrators cautioned against single-year staffing reductions because enrollment “cascades” across grades and because kindergarten registrations can reverse apparent short-term declines.

Reading and early intervention

District leaders highlighted the value of reading specialists, describing them as “rock solid” and instrumental in using science-of-reading practices, DIBELS and other assessments to target instruction. Staff said reading specialists provide tiered interventions that allow teachers to use a middle, targeted step before special-education referral; principals reported improvements in identifying needs and supporting students earlier.

Social-emotional and behavior supports; proposed classroom

Staff described a growing need for behavior and social-emotional supports predating the pandemic. To address the needs and to reduce out-of-district placements, the district proposed starting one substantially separate social-emotional classroom at Hobbomock in FY26 as a pilot. In broad terms the plan for year one would include:

- One full-time special-education teacher assigned to the classroom. - One full-time registered behavior technician (RBT) or equivalent paraprofessional to implement behavior plans. - A 0.5 licensed behavior analyst (BCBA/LABA) to analyze data and set interventions (contracted hours are an option). - A 0.5 social worker to meet therapeutic needs depending on enrollment and severity.

District staff said the 0.5 behavior-analyst and 0.5 social-worker lines could initially be contracted rather than hired, but in-district staff would be preferable for a sustainable program. They proposed starting with a single classroom, building it with fidelity and then measuring outcomes before any expansion.

Costs, potential savings and timeline

Administrators estimated a startup investment and multi-year commitment; one committee member framed the proposal as roughly a $208,000 annual investment during the first three years while the program is established (district staff described the figure during budget planning discussion). The committee discussed the need for a cost-benefit analysis: some placements the district currently sends out of town cost “in the fifties” (about $50,000 per year) for certain programs and can exceed $100,000–$140,000 per student plus transportation for private day placements, staff said. District leaders said that, over time, bringing even a subset of out-of-district students back to Pembroke could offset program costs; the committee asked budget subcommittee to undertake analytics and set benchmarks for savings and break-even timelines.

Other proposed supports

Principals requested continued funding to maintain two full-time reading specialists per elementary (the district previously funded reading specialists and social workers), expansion of math intervention support and funding for behavior specialists (BCBA/LABA) or RBTs that could be shared across buildings. Principals also said rising social-emotional needs are increasing staff workload and argued that tiered supports and a specialized classroom could prevent more restrictive out-of-district placements.

Quotes (from meeting)

"They are just rock solid, amazing humans who do so much for our staff and students…" — Jen, elementary principal, on reading specialists

"A collaborative is about $60,000; most private day programs run $100,000–$140,000 plus transportation." — Jessica, Director of Student Services

Next steps and committee reaction

The committee did not approve funding at the meeting but directed staff to bring the proposal and supporting analytics to the budget subcommittee for a cost-benefit review. Members emphasized starting small, establishing benchmarks and pursuing grant or state support where possible. The superintendent and members suggested approaching the district’s legislative contacts for potential start-up funding and confirmed budget subcommittee will evaluate the proposal in the coming weeks.

Ending

School leaders will bring detailed budget numbers, enrollment updates (including kindergarten registration figures) and a cost-benefit analysis on the proposed classroom to the budget subcommittee for decisions ahead of the FY26 budget cycle.