WAKEFIELD — The School Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow night on a $50 million educational spending package for the year beginning July 1. The plan reflects a 5.22 percent increase over what the district currently has at its disposal.
The 7:15 p.m. public hearing will be held in-person at the WCAT studio behind Wakefield Memorial High as well as via Zoom.
In a forward to the budget document found on the public schools’ website, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Doug Lyons writes, in part:
“Every important project clearly establishes the “what, why and how” to promote success and support the work of those working to meet the goals. The vision of the Wakefield Public Schools is to empower our graduates to be confident, lifelong learners who are respectful and caring members of their community. This WPS vision outlines our “what.” The School Committee, faculty, and staff, focus on creating the conditions necessary to promote high expectations and achievement of all of our students. Our students are our “why.” We hold ourselves accountable for their success every day.
“The WPS mission is to prepare students for college, career, and community by providing a rich and challenging curriculum, high-quality instruction, and educational experiences that meet their individual needs and interests. The WPS mission outlines the “how.” We rely on this mission daily to drive our work of reaching the District vision.
“The growing needs of students, faculty, and staff continue to change in the work of teaching and learning. The old ways of doing business are changing rapidly and are insufficient to address current challenges. Students’ needs and the needs of faculty and staff are on the rise. Our ability to access external resources to provide counseling, testing, academic and social-emotional support is different than they were a year ago. Our ability to hire and retain faculty and staff for mission- critical positions is also a significant issue that impacts our ability to meet the needs of students and families efficiently and effectively.
“The increased learning, behavioral and social-emotional needs continue to fall more greatly on schools across the Commonwealth. Students and families have been impacted differently by the COVID pandemic, some students have simply missed time in the classroom due to the modified school schedules, while others have been more severely impacted or set back. Some students regressed academically and/or socially or have simply not yet learned or exercised the skills of learning in class with others. These challenges are real and are being addressed daily by faculty, staff, and administrators in schools. These overarching needs must be considered in the narrative as we allocate resources to support gaps in learning and the safe development of students.
“For these reasons, we will continue to prioritize academics, counseling, intervention, and special education services for students. This includes a focus on our most vulnerable learners as well as our most advanced learners. We will continue to offer the Acceleration Academy for incoming kindergarten students to help them acclimate to their new schools and to address literacy and prosocial learning behaviors. We will also continue to prioritize our collaboration with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and all stakeholders to build a new Wakefield Memorial High School that is accessible, and aligned with the educational plan and learning standards specified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, (NEASC). We are adding human resources as a significant priority, as we work to address staffing needs, challenges, and shortages in the labor market.”
