Hingham student services director outlines entry plan after first 90 days, flags rise in special-education enrollment

Chris Panarisi, the Hingham Public Schools executive director of student services, presented her 90-day entry plan to the Hingham School Committee on Oct. 6, detailing district data, staffing, and next steps to address rising special-education enrollment and gaps in student achievement.

Panarisi said her office’s vision is “to provide high quality, individualized, inclusive learning opportunities where all children with disabilities and their families experience belonging and a shared sense of responsibility in the development and education of their child so that they can reach their fullest potential in life.” She reviewed state and district indicators and described an initial set of actions for the next 30 to 90 days.

Why it matters: Panarisi told the committee that students identified with disabilities on IEPs rose from 13.6% in 2021 to about 18.6% in the 2024/2025 snapshot, a notable increase that the district must staff and budget for. Student achievement data show large gaps between students with and without disabilities (for example, an elementary–middle ELA meeting/exceeding gap the presentation listed as roughly 85% versus 35%), and the high school band earned fewer accountability “points” for students with disabilities than K–8 (district slides cited roughly 76% of points K–8 vs. 30% at the high school level).

Key details and planned actions

- Enrollment and placements: Panarisi reviewed program placement counts and said the district’s distribution of services had shifted, including higher numbers of 504 plans and speech/language services. She said speech and language services in Hingham are “anywhere from 55 to 80 percent” of IEPs compared with a national average near 19–20 percent and said she will investigate that discrepancy.

- Achievement and accountability: Panarisi presented MCAS and other growth data showing improvement in some growth metrics (math growth for students with disabilities near parity with peers in recent years) but persistent achievement gaps, particularly at the high school level where ELA and science targets were not met in the accountability snapshot she reviewed.

- Extended school year (ESY): The presentation acknowledged that ESY notices were late the prior year; Panarisi said she has deployed a June/September benchmark process and an “ESY data collection form” for earlier identification of eligible students and expects families to receive ESY notification “no later than April” to allow hiring and planning.

- Staffing and services: Panarisi listed her office staff by role (assistant, elementary special-education administrator, nursing manager, director of counseling and others) and described use of contracted providers when vacancies occur. She said the Office of Student Services meets weekly with program leads and will conduct a deeper staffing and service audit in the next phase.

- Data and monitoring: The next 90 days will focus on root-cause analysis, alignment of standards-based IEPs, curriculum access for inclusion settings, and use of MTSS indicators to monitor regression and recoupment.

Committee and public response

School Committee members thanked Panarisi for a data-driven, transparent presentation. Matt Cosman and other members asked how prior assessments and strategic reviews inform her priorities; Panarisi said she reviewed earlier studies but relied on current, local data to set priorities and plans.

Parents and residents spoke in support. Diane DiNapoli (16 Gardner Street) told the committee she had seen changes already in services for her son and thanked Panarisi for addressing trust. Tina Sherwood asked whether the achievement numbers were MCAS scores; Panarisi and Superintendent Catherine Roberts confirmed that MCAS was a major reference point but cautioned that 2025 grade-10 MCAS statewide participation and effort were affected after the exam was announced not to be a graduation requirement, which complicates year-to-year comparisons for grade 10.

What the committee directed

- Use June/September benchmark snapshots and the new ESY data collection form to make earlier ESY determinations and hire/plan by April.

- Conduct a root cause review of why speech/language services appear high in local records compared with national norms.

- Continue weekly coordination between Panarisi’s office and school-level team chairs and principals as the district performs a deeper data dive covering curriculum access in substantially separate settings, accommodation use (Panarisi gave the example of calculator access in math), and high-school course rigor for students with disabilities.

What did not change in this meeting

No formal policy changes or budget decisions were made at the Oct. 6 meeting; Panarisi presented information and the committee asked questions and gave direction for further work.

Where this goes next

Panarisi said she will return with deeper analyses in the coming months and will work with principals, team chairs and the CPAC (Committee for Parents of Children with Disabilities) to rebuild trust through consistent communication and measurable action steps.