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Welcome Back Families!
I hope that this week was one of excitement for your students as they returned to school. Throughout the course of the week I had the opportunity to visit classrooms in each of our schools and was so happy to see so many engaged and smiling faces. Thank you for choosing Norton Public Schools as the partner for your children's education.
As the majority of you are aware, we are beginning this school year with a smaller staff than we had last year. Due to the constraints in our school budget, we laid off 29 staff members this past spring, which will have a profound impact on how we run our schools day to day and the offerings that we will be able to provide to our students this year. I thank you in advance for your understanding and patience as we navigate these challenges this year. I also ask that you reach out to myself or our school principals with any questions or concerns that may arise.
Throughout the summer months, we had several staffing changes that have allowed us some flexibility in roles and responsibilities. When a staff member resigns or retires, we are typically able to hire a new staff member at an equal or lesser cost due to their professional experience. With these savings, we were able to reinstate our 6th school nurse, which gives me more peace of mind when it comes to keeping the health and safety of our students a priority. Additionally, we recalled two paraprofessionals to support specific student needs. These staffing changes brought our staffing reductions from 29 down to 26, were done within our 1% budget as voted on at Town Meeting, and did not use any additional funding.
At Norton High School, our team chair resigned so our Assistant Principal, Amy Benner, will be taking over these responsibilities for this school year. Mrs. Benner has a license as a special education administrator and a background in special education, which makes her a great fit for this role. This change has allowed us to hire an Early Childhood Coordinator, Maria Blackburn, who will support the Little Lancers preschool program at JCS. Again, these staffing changes were done within our original budget and did not cost any additional funds beyond what was allocated at Town Meeting.
It is common in our society these days that rumors run rampant and social media fuels the fire. As always, I encourage you to reach out to my office with any questions, concerns, or need for clarity. I have the privilege of being the Superintendent of Norton Public Schools, but these are YOUR schools as a community. I welcome your communication and will always adhere to a transparent and collaborative approach in my role.
I am looking forward to a great year learning together!
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