MERSD Newsletter
Welcome Back to School 2025-2026!
It’s hard to believe how quickly summer has passed, and it’s wonderful to see our schools coming back to life. Over the past few weeks, preseason practices, student orientations, and classroom preparations have brought energy back into our buildings. As we begin the 2025–2026 school year, I’m excited to welcome everyone back and look forward to a year of engaging learning that supports every student to reach their fullest potential.
Along with preparing for opening day, we’ve also been focused on shaping our district’s future. Last spring we closed out the 2022–2025 District Improvement Plan cycle and reported on the progress we made in achieving our goals (District Improvement Plan Progress Report). Over the past three years, our work has strengthened instructional practices, expanded authentic learning, advanced equity and inclusion, and improved student supports and operational systems. Building on this foundation, we are now developing a new three-year District Improvement Plan, informed by student data, program evaluations, state frameworks, and community feedback. Together with staff, families, and the School Committee, we are setting goals, strategies, and measures of success to guide our work toward achieving our long-term strategic plan objectives. There will be opportunities for community input in the weeks ahead, and I hope you’ll share your ideas and help shape the path forward.
Our district-wide professional development focus this year includes strengthening instructional capacity to support student achievement, expanding authentic learning opportunities, and adapting our teaching to meet the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly changing technology landscape.
As always, our success depends on strong partnerships between schools, families, and the community. Please reach out to teachers, counselors, or principals with any questions, and stay engaged as we work together to make this a great year for every student.
Have a wonderful start to the school year!
ParentSquare
We are happy to share that we will be introducing a new form of school-to-home communication with ParentSquare. This tool will help us fill a need in communication methods for coaches, field trips, and quick notices. It provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, parents, and students to communicate through the easy of email, text, and app access.
Sign up: http://parentsquare.com/signin
Download the app: https://www.parentsquare.com/select_school/new
As we roll out ParentSquare over the course of this year, district and school information will be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text. For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).
Have questions? Try this video: Parents—Getting Started Video. You can also click the question mark in the top right corner of the desktop version or the Help tab on the app (tap the triple bar icon at the top left) to find answers to most of your questions.
Federal Program Review: Grants
Every 6 years, the Department of Education reviews district Federal Grant Programs (Title I, IIA, and IVA.) Our findings indicated that we have fulfilled all requirements of the federal grant programs. Our Title 1 program was identified as an exemplar for family engagement by the state, and Essex educator Caitlin Featherstone spoke on a DESE webinar to share about our practices. Our outcomes report can be VIEWED HERE.
All bus riders, regardless of distance to their school, must register to ride the bus in order to receive a bus pass. In accordance with the fee schedule established by the School Committee of the Manchester Essex Regional School District (MERSD), all riders who live less than 1.5 miles from school must pay a $225 transportation fee. Bus passes will be distributed at school during the first two weeks of the new school year. After that time, only students with a bus pass will be allowed to ride.
Please visit our website HERE for the 2025-2026 Bus Routes Schedule.
For more information about Busing and Transportation, please email: schoolbus@mersd.org
Massachusetts has permanently extended its free school lunch and breakfast program for all K-12 students, regardless of income. This means that all MERSD students can access a free breakfast and lunch meal every school day. There is no need to apply, and all students are eligible regardless of income. If you do not wish to have your child participate, you may opt-out by notifying your principal’s office.
Payment Portal Accounts
This free program does not include second meal servings, bottled water, or milk sold separately. Students may purchase these items on site, paid either by cash or by your student's online, pre-funded meals account. At the Middle High School, students may also purchase DESE qualified snacks. Families can make payments for these items online, using the School Payment Portal, located here: https://www.schoolpaymentportal.com/ConsumerLogin.aspx. A User’s guide to the portal is attached, and includes instructions on how to set up your account. The portal can also be customized to create:
- Automated low balance alerts via email (see p. 21)
- Automatic payments to replenish your account when balance hits a certain threshold (p. 21)
- Restrictions on specific food/menu options that your child may or may not purchase (p. 24)
Direct Certification/MERSD Fee Waivers
Please be aware that MERSD is still required to conduct periodic matching of our enrollment to the "Direct Certification" database of the Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS). Even though all MERSD students are eligible for free meals, only families that match the EOHHS database will also be eligible for reduction and/or waiver of MERSD bus, athletics and other user fees. Notices from MERSD's Central Office have been sent recently to families that have matched the EOHHS database.
Online Menu App
Nutrislice is a mobile app from our food service management company, Chartwells, that allows families to view lunch menus by school for each day of the month. All nutritional content information can be viewed for each menu item, including ingredients and potential allergens. Menus for each school will be posted on the MERSD Nutrislice web page HERE or you can also download the mobile app from the App Store or Google Play. Please continue to work directly with the School Nurse in your child’s school on any issues related to food allergens or medical conditions that might impact food selection.
Contact Information for Chartwells
MERSD’s program is run by Paula Graham, on-site manager for Chartwells, who can be reached by phone at 978-526-2049, or via email at: Grahamp@mersd.org. Please contact Paula Graham directly for any questions you may have about Food Service.
Wishing you a healthy start to the new school year!
On August 19th & 20th we hosted orientation to welcome our new staff to MERSD. At orientation we shared the district strategic plan, reviewed district protocols, and provided them with an overview of our community.
The Open Door Food Truck will visit Essex Elementary School and Manchester Memorial Elementary School. This resource is available for anyone in the Community. For more information about The Open Door please visit their website.
Essex Elementary
12 Story St.
Essex, MA
3rd Wednesday each month (during the school year only)
2:45-3:30pm
Manchester Memorial Elementary
43 Lincoln St.
Manchester, MA
1st Wednesday each month (during the school year only)
2:45-3:30pm
