Superintendent’s Report to the School Committee, March 29, 2023

Theater Club in METG Finals

Congratulations to Theater Advisor Brian Pereira and the cast and crew of Women and Wallace for being selected to compete in the Finals of the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s High School Theater Festival.  Masconomet will perform Women and Wallace at 12:30 on Saturday, April 1^st at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston.  Tickets are available at https://www.ticketstage.com/  “Break a Leg,” Masconomet!

MCAS Testing in Middle and High Schools

Masconomet High School’s 10^th grade students began MCAS Testing this week.  The English Language Arts Tests were administered on Tuesday, March 28^th and Wednesday, March 29^th.  Students who were absent on these dates will be scheduled for make-up tests.  Grade 10 students will be taking the Mathematics Sections of the MCAS on May 16^th and May 17^th.  Ninth grade students will take the Science, Technology, Engineering MCAS on June 6^th and 7^th. 

Masconomet Middle School will begin MCAS Testing with the English Language Arts Test in Grade 7 on April 4^th and April 5^th.  The Middle School will be conducting MCAS testing for two days per week from the beginning of April through the third week in May.  Dr. McManus has posted the entire Middle School MCAS schedule in his blog at https://www.masconomet.org/Domain/9

Masconomet FY24 Budget Update

On March 15^th, the Masconomet School Committee adopted its Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Budget.  The Total Expenditures Budget for FY24 is $40,206,736, which is an increase of $1,839,604 (4.8%) over the current year.  Contracted increases in tuitions for students in out of district special education programs and associated transportation for these students, and transportation costs for regular education students are some of the primary drivers behind the District’s Operating Budget Increase.  The School Committee’s Adopted FY24 Total Expenditures Budget also includes $449,050 in Capital Costs to complete the design and permitting of “Phase I” of the District’s Turf Field Plan. 

The next step in the approval process for Masconomet’s FY24 Budget will be for the voters at Annual Town Meeting to approve the FY24 Budget.  Given the increases to the FY24 Budget, Proposition 2 ½ overrides to cover the cost of Masconomet’s FY24 Budget will likely be on the Warrant at Boxford and Topsfield Town Meeting.  In order for Masconomet’s FY24 Budget to be approved, both the Operating and Capital Budgets must be approved by two of our three member communities.  Annual Town Meeting will be held in Topsfield in the Masconomet Auditorium in Tuesday, May 2^nd.  Town Meeting in Boxford will be at Masconomet on Tuesday, May 16^th.  Middleton Town Meeting will be at Howe-Manning School on Tuesday, May 16^th.  Please come to your Town Meeting and support Masconomet’s FY24 Budget.

• For more information on Masconomet’s FY24 Budget, please go to https://www.masconomet.org/Page/913.
• For more information on Masconomet’s Turf Field Initiative, please go to: https://www.masconomet.org/Page/914

Masconomet Seniors Julia Graves and Stella Nagle Featured on PBS’ Student Reporting Labs

Congratulations to Masconomet Seniors Juila Graves and Stella Nagle for their video production, “How the Pandemic Brought My Family to the Table,” which was recently featured on PBS’ Student Reporting Labs. Thanks also go to MHS English Teacher Michelle Siden for advising Julia and Stella on this project and directing our Media Communication Classes, including Masconomet’s Morning Update. Julia and Stella’s project is below.

Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Launches Behavioral Health Help Line

The State of Massachusetts Department of Mental Health has recently launched the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL).  The BHHL connects individuals and families to the full range of treatment services for mental health and substance use offered in Massachusetts, including outpatient, urgent, and immediate crisis care. The BHHL is staffed by trained clinicians and certified peer specialists to support every caller’s needs.  The BHHL is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by phone call and text at 833-773-2445, and online chat at masshelpline.com.