The superintendent delivered a midyear district update at the Winthrop School Committee meeting on Jan. 6, 2025, reviewing upcoming school calendar dates, ongoing student assessments and a midyear budget review as the district prepares for FY26 planning.

The superintendent said January has several early-release days and reminded families that there is no school on Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. She described school events coming this month, including an international night on Jan. 16 at the former middle school gym, a drama and chorus performance on Jan. 9, and grade-level winter concerts and a middle‑school spelling bee scheduled later in January.

The superintendent reported that universal assessment windows are underway: ACCESS testing has begun at Gorman Fort Bank School and benchmark assessments (CBM, STAR and i-Ready) are running at both elementary schools and the middle school. She said data meetings at William P. Gorman are scheduled for Jan. 28–30 to review results and instructional plans.

On budgeting, the superintendent said district leaders — including Dylan, Laurie and building principals — are conducting a midyear review to reconcile prepaid materials and supplies, monitor utility and other operating costs, and identify areas where line-item transfers may be needed. She said transfers will likely be brought to the committee for consideration at the end of January or start of February. "We did prepay quite a bit of materials and supplies," she said, noting staff are checking receipts and deliveries as part of the close‑out process.

She described FY26 planning as already underway because the district expects tight resources next year. Transportation and special education costs, she said, remain the most uncertain budget drivers. The superintendent said the district will form budget subcommittee meetings to drill down on FY26 assumptions and to analyze the athletic and co‑curricular revenue and expense structure so the committee has “a crystal clear picture” of those costs for planning.

The superintendent also said staffing changes have occurred this year and that the administration will bring recommended transfers to the committee soon, noting potential offsets where hiring at a lower salary in one line might require transfers in other lines such as supplies or utilities.

In public‑relations notes the superintendent and other speakers congratulated student athletes Spencer Parko (basketball) and Talia Martucci (hockey); staff noted Talia Martucci reached a personal milestone of 100 points in hockey. Committee members also praised the district's relationship with a local gymnastics academy that allows high school teams to practice offsite and helps preserve the high‑school gym floor.

The superintendent closed by urging residents to check the schools' and town's websites for dates for budget‑subcommittee meetings and other events.