Superintendent Update
January 3, 2025
- January 6: Epiphany & Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day)
- January 7: School Committee Meeting - Open FY26 Budget Hearing
- January 20: No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- January 25: 2:00pm - PDC Lunar New Year Celebration at John Glenn Middle School
- February: Black History Month
- February 3-7: National School Counseling Week
- February 13: Early Dismissal for Lane & Davis Schools ONLY
At the school committee meeting on Tuesday, January 7th members will vote to approve the FY26 Budget after the Open FY26 Budget Hearing. This meeting will start at the conclusion of the Town Caucus but no earlier than 8:00 P.M. As always, please feel free to contact Superintendent Chuang and the School Committee with any feedback you wish to share. The full agenda, schedule, and supporting materials can always be found at School Committee - Meeting Schedule & Supporting Documents.
These changes impact riders on JGMS/BHS Buses - #14 (all routes moved) and Bus #5 (Hemlock Ln and Hilltop Road stop only) and has a limited impact on JGMS/BHS Bus #2, #3 #5 and Bus #15. In the afternoon, this will also impact Bus #50 going to Lowell. Please read below if your student(s) rides any of these buses.
As of January 6, 2025, the JGMS/BHS Bus #14 routes are being consolidated on other buses that have excess capacity. This is a mid-year change, so an additional targeted special notice to families living on specific streets will be sent in order to ensure a smooth transition. All riders on Bus #14 (consolidated) and Bus #5 (one stop moved to Bus #3) will receive a special targeted email with more specific information about the new bus your stop is being moved to. Riders who may be minimally impacted on Bus #2, #3, #5 will also receive an additional email. The two buses in the afternoon going to Lowell will be consolidated into one bus and impacted families should have received a special targeted email with more specific information on Monday, December 16th. Please note that this change is separate from any consideration of fees by the School Committee.
The modified bus routes are posted on the Bedford Public Schools Transportation Web Page, as well as a chart that shows consolidated information about the changes. Thank you very much for your attention. If you have any questions, please email transportation@bedfordps.org.
During the week of January 9, 2025, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of Language Acquisition (OLA) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Bedford Public Schools. The Office of Language Acquisition reviews each district’s and charter school’s ELE program every six years to monitor compliance with federal and state English learner education laws and regulations. Areas of review will include English learners’ student assessments, identification of English learners; what programs English learners are placed in, parent and community involvement, curriculum and instruction, student support services, licensure requirements for faculty, staff, and administration, program plans, and evaluation and recordkeeping. In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The district will send a survey to the parents of students whose records the review team examines. The survey focuses on key areas of their child’s English learner education program. Survey results will be reviewed by OLA and they will contribute to the monitoring report. Parents and other individuals may call David Parker, Office of Language Acquisition Review Chairperson, at 781-338-3466 (chairperson’s number) to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, DESE will make the necessary arrangements. Within approximately 60 business days of the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the (district or charter school) with a report with information about areas in which the (district or charter school) meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the (district or charter school) requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The report will be available to the public at English Learner Education Program Monitoring & Compliance.
Please be reminded that DESE is also conducting a review of the district's special education programs from February 3-, 2025 as previously outlined here.