Pembroke schools report steady enrollment, new hires and several facility upgrades ahead of fall term

Building principals told the Pembroke School Committee on Aug. 19 that the district is ready for the start of the school year, with steady enrollments, several new hires and multiple ongoing facility projects.

Middle school administrators reported about 376 students will start this fall, with roughly 195 seventh-graders and 181 eighth-graders; the principal said new student tours and orientations are scheduled and described three new teacher hires and one internal transfer to the building. The principal also acknowledged two long-time staff members who recently retired.

At Brianville Elementary, administrators said about 51 kindergarten students are enrolled and that staff who worked in extended-year programs will return. The school also welcomed one returning teacher on the sixth-grade ELA team and noted collaborative classrooms from the North River Collaborative will continue to operate.

Habemock Elementary reported 56 kindergarten students; administrators said roughly half of that kindergarten class are siblings of existing students. Habemock announced new paraprofessional hires, a returning staff member transfers and an assistant-principal appointment. The school completed major interior projects this summer, including removal of carpeting and installation of tile in the library and several instruction spaces.

North School staff said roughly 60 kindergarten students are expected and described several facility upgrades: six new water-bottle filling stations, ongoing LED lighting replacement and refreshed flooring. The custodial and facilities teams were credited for summer projects.

Pembroke High School administrators reported 681 students enrolled, including 161 freshmen. The high school described new and expanded pathway offerings, two new AP courses (AP Seminar and AP Precalculus), a new full-time science hire who previously served as a long-term substitute and a guidance-counselor hire. Administrators cited rising AP performance over five years and highlighted applied-learning and Project Lead The Way pathway expansions.

Across the district, principals and staff described classroom- and curriculum-focused pilots for the year. Elementary teachers will pilot a simplified writing curriculum in multiple grades after positive early results in pilot classrooms; several teachers districtwide will pilot FOSS science materials. Administrators said curriculum work aims to pair content with applied-learning strategies aligned to the district's vision of the graduate.

Facility work described this summer includes a new gym roof at one building, library renovations (carpet removal and new tile) at another, replacement of the PA system and the scheduled start of a playground demolition with an anticipated mid-to-late October opening. Custodial staff and building secretaries received public thanks for their summer work preparing buildings and schedules.

The committee approved the Aug. 5 meeting minutes by motion (moved by Katrina Delaney; seconded by Sue Bollinger). The chair then moved to other district reports.

What this means: District leaders said they are monitoring staffing and licensure issues but are prepared for the opening week. Several projects will continue into the fall; administrators said some work — notably the playground and certain interior renovations — will finish after school starts but are expected to be available to students later in October.