The Everett School Committee on Monday, November 2 adopted Superintendent William Hart’s goals for the school year, sent his evaluation for last year to a subcommittee, and accepted four grants and gifts, the largest the $1,014,000 state award for career and technical education space that the governor’s office announced two weeks ago. The open meeting in the Everett High School library ran from about 6:35 to 7:15 p.m. Members Jeanne Cristiano and Joseph LaMonica sent their regrets, the student representative was absent, and member Joseph D’Onofrio did not answer the roll call or vote. Seven members were present. Nobody signed up for public comment and there was no executive session. A transcript of the meeting is posted separately.
What Hart will be graded on
The goals, which the committee accepted 7-0, follow the categories the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education sets for superintendent evaluations. Hart said he had outlined them to Chair Samantha Hurley over the summer.
- Student learning: explore and evaluate a cybersecurity education program that would give students curriculum, industry-recognized training and a career pathway in information technology. “We’re right on the cusp,” Hart said, of a pathway “that would get them right into a job that has sustainable wages.”
- Professional practice: carry out the district’s new strategic plan through action plans for each goal, with a report to the committee at the end of each of the next three years.
- District improvement, three items: expand the home visit program that began last year with seed money Hart said came from the University of California and some federal Title funds, after more than 60 teachers signed up for this year and the grant was renewed; hire a facilities consultant to assess every school building and produce a prioritized capital plan, because, Hart said, he had told the mayor he was “not really sure how all those items got to a list” in the capital plan the district had been working from and had promised “a verifiable list of capital needs”; and create a cooperative education coordinator position to line up internships and co-op placements for students in the vocational programs. Hart said he had signed an agreement that day with a nursing facility to take medical assisting students after another placement site closed.
Vice Chair Marcony Almeida Barros said the co-op position “made me more excited” than the rest because “sometimes our kids are not specifically looking for university.”
Separately, Hurley moved to refer Hart’s evaluation for the 2025-26 year to the committee’s ad hoc evaluation subcommittee, which she chairs with Almeida Barros, Margaret Cornelio and Cristiano, to organize the process “just like last time.” That passed 7-0.
Four grants and gifts
- The $1,014,000 Career and Technical Education Annex Pilot Program grant from the state Executive Office of Education, which will rebuild and expand the high school’s medical assisting and programming and web development spaces and add about 95 seats. Accepted 6-0; Mayor Robert Van Campen’s name was not called on that roll call or the next one.
- A $25,000 Early College Planning Grant from the state education department to offset the cost of college-level courses for high school students. Robin Babcock asked whether it applies to the district’s direct admissions partners such as Salem State; Hart said it does. Accepted 6-0.
- $300 in Market Basket gift cards from the Zonta Club of Chelsea and the North Shore, which Hart said two members delivered to the central office about ten days ago. The cards go to the schools to give to families. Accepted 7-0 with a letter of thanks.
- $1,000 from the Work-Based Learning Alliance so Everett High students can take part in its “Designing a Sustainable Future” STEM program after school. Accepted 7-0.
Webster fifth graders and the phases of the moon
The month’s school spotlight went to the Webster School, which brought its principal, two fifth grade teachers and seven students with the three-dimensional moon-phase models the whole fifth grade built this fall. Fifth grade is the first year students take the science MCAS, the principal said, and Webster’s share of students meeting or exceeding expectations has usually matched the state average and some years beaten it. The models came out of a unit on light energy, and the teachers told students to raid the recycling bin: the results used tennis balls, styrofoam, lollipop sticks, string lights, a motor and, in at least one case, Oreo cookies. The fifth graders presented them to the younger grades in the cafeteria.
Five students explained their projects at the podium. One put the earth in the center “because the moons orbit around the earth.” Another, whose model took first place, used a motor to turn styrofoam moons on lollipop sticks. Asked by Babcock whether the work was done in school or at home, a teacher said mostly at home. Member Millie Cardello told the group, “You made my night.” The teachers also reported that the class had dissected a sheep’s eye the week before and had spared the committee the visuals.
Playoffs, the band and the calendar
- The football team earned a spot in the MIAA Division 1 playoffs for the first time since 2022, Hart said, crediting head coach Rob DiLoreto and his staff. The MIAA bracket lists Everett as the No. 14 seed at 7-1, playing Friday, November 6 at 6 p.m. at No. 3 Central Catholic in Lawrence.
- Girls soccer qualified for the Division 1 tournament with a 9-4-5 regular season. Babcock said it is the team’s first trip to the playoffs in 15 years, that she was at the clinching win, which went to penalty kicks, and that her daughter played on the team for four years. The schedule was expected Thursday.
- The marching band finished first in its division at the USBands Massachusetts State Championship in Stoughton on Saturday, October 31, with top honors in music, percussion, color guard and general effect, and placed fourth in the largest division at the New England Scholastic Band Association regional championships at Harvard Stadium on Sunday. Hart thanked music coordinator Eugene O’Brien and his staff.
- The Spanish debate team placed in several categories at the Boston Debate League competition at Boston Latin Academy on October 23 and 24, Hart said, including second overall in the varsity division for one student and four placements in the novice division, two of them second as a team.
- No school Tuesday, November 3 for the state election, because most buildings are polling places; staff have professional development. No school Wednesday, November 11 for Veterans Day. The next School Committee meeting is Monday, November 16.
- The special education parent advisory council holds its officer elections Tuesday, November 17 at 6 p.m. at the Madeline English School. Parents who want to run should contact special education director Shamus Brady. Children are welcome.
- The Kiwanis Club of Everett’s all-you-can-eat pasta dinner is Wednesday, November 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Connolly Center, $7 a plate, with most proceeds going to Everett High students through scholarships.
Also
- The committee approved late starts at Everett High on Wednesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 14, 2027 for ACCESS testing of English learners, after Almeida Barros moved to correct the agenda, which had the year as 2026. Students not taking the test start at 10:30 a.m. those days. 7-0.
- The October 19 report of the finance and negotiations subcommittee was placed on file without a reading.
- Bills and payroll of $3,122,841.88 were approved and ordered paid on two 7-0 roll calls, with the mayor moving both and signing the warrant.
The meeting video is on the district’s YouTube channel; the first 35 minutes of the stream are a replay of the football senior night ceremony, and the meeting begins at the 34:50 mark. This account is drawn from the livestream audio, the posted agenda and the MIAA bracket; names are checked against the district’s roster and staff directory, and people the audio did not identify clearly are described by role.
