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Superintendent reports shelter closures, district learning‑walks and concern over federal education changes
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Baeta told the School Committee on March 11 that two hotels used as temporary shelters will close later this year, prompting McKinney‑Vento enrollment and funding conversations, and warned of federal Education Department staffing changes that could affect grant timing.
Superintendent Dr. Baeta updated the School Committee on March 11 about two temporary shelters that house students, district data work and federal policy uncertainty affecting school services.
Dr. Baeta said he had been notified that the Sonesta hotel would close by June 30 and the Hampton Inn would close by mid‑August. He said students living at those hotels are expected to be withdrawn from Stoughton Public Schools unless they find housing in town.
"We need to talk about the process of McKinney‑Vento and how that happens, with the town, and how those funds are allocated," Dr. Baeta said, urging committee discussion of homelessness‑related enrollment and support processes.
He also described national uncertainty at the U.S. Department of Education, noting reports of large staffing changes and the potential for blocked or reallocated grants that could shift how funding flows to states and districts. "The question then becomes, how does it happen? The scenario looks like blocked grants, which means the money goes back to the states," he said, and warned that states’ decisions about reallocation could create timing and programmatic challenges for local schools.
District operational updates included a second district‑wide learning‑walk process and distribution of memos and HR notices in the committee packet. Dr. Baeta said he had asked for data reports from the district’s MSBA work and highlighted improvement metrics in student outcomes, with several elementary schools showing notable progress in state measures over the past three years.
Ending: Dr. Baeta urged the committee to discuss McKinney‑Vento coordination with town officials and promised to provide additional data as the district completes its learning‑walk cycle.
