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District reports improved staffing and participation in ESY, athletics and summer programs
Summary
District leaders reviewed summer programs: the special‑education ESY retained staff and improved operations, athletics recorded strong participation, and Splash/Intro‑to‑Kindergarten reported steady growth and plans for online registration and expanded programming.
At its Sept. 12 meeting, the Middleborough School Committee heard a string of summer‑program reviews covering special‑education ESY, athletics and summer academic/enrichment programming.
Jennifer Healey, director of special education, reviewed the ESY (Extended School Year) program and said the five‑week program focused on preventing significant regression among students with IEP‑mandated summer services. The ESY program ran four days a week and included full program instruction, tutoring, itinerant services, counseling and vocational opportunities. Healey said the district improved operations by starting hiring earlier and instituting staggered drop‑off procedures, which reduced behavioral issues and increased instructional time. Staffing numbers cited: 49 total staff with 31 returning from the prior summer (about a 63% retention rate) and roughly 80% of ESY staff coming from in‑district employees.
ESY coordinator Wendy Yas described classroom and enrichment activities and emphasized individualized instruction tied to students' IEP goals. The team cited continuing work on emergency‑response training for outside staff and moving toward electronic registration to reduce paperwork and improve access.
Athletic Director Ryan Sylvia reported that summer athletics had strong participation. He listed program counts (elementary participants 293; middle/high combination 255; 362 visiting participants from other schools in summer leagues) and highlighted popular offerings including youth track and field (91 participants) and strength and conditioning (71 participants). Sylvia praised custodial and maintenance staff for preparing facilities for the school year.
Dr. Terry Mar, with coordinators Carly Paling and Courtney (CER), reported on Splash and an Intro‑to‑Kindergarten kickoff program. Splash served rising K–6 students and secondary programs with arts, STEM and enrichment offerings; Intro‑to‑Kindergarten welcomed rising kindergarteners to learn routines, meet staff and ease transitions. The presenters said Splash enrollment was 77 across its sessions and Intro‑to‑K had 37 kindergarten participants this year, with scholarships available and plans to increase outreach to local preschools. The district plans to reinstate arts programming in future summers and implement online registration with credit‑card payment.
Why it matters: Summer programs support student learning, prevent regression for students with IEPs, and provide enrichment and community engagement. Staffing and operational improvements may reduce service gaps and ease family logistics.
What comes next: ESY leaders will report back on emergency‑response training and electronic registration; the district will continue planning for next summer and refine outreach and budgeting.
