Superintendent reports curriculum review, preschool expansion, DA online-safety sessions and an independent personnel investigation

Superintendent O’Shea told the Longmeadow School Committee on Sept. 24 that curriculum review work, early-childhood expansion and student safety programming are underway, and that an independent investigation into a personnel matter continues with no fixed timeline.

O’Shea said Beth Nelson, director of curriculum, has launched a science and social studies review covering K–12; the district has scheduled a full professional development day on Oct. 3 for licensed and support staff. He reported the district’s full-day preschool program is “off and running” and described it as successful. O’Shea also announced that Nilda Razzari, director of student and family support, coordinated online safety programming that the district’s district attorney’s office will present at elementary schools in the coming weeks.

On a separate personnel matter, O’Shea said the district has engaged an independent investigator and “we have given the investigator full and unfettered access to, all the information he needs,” and that the district does not have a preset timeline: the investigator will report when the work is complete. Committee members asked clarifying questions about the absence of a timeline and O’Shea reiterated the district’s approach to allow the investigator to complete the work without an artificial deadline.

The superintendent also relayed an LPBC transportation update reported in an associated committee: local school-business transportation partners are experiencing driver shortages following a bus-station fire in a neighboring district; routes and contractor arrangements are under review and districts are exploring alternate contractors or use of LPVAC buses.

The committee took no formal votes on these items; the remarks were delivered as informational reports.