Brookline School Committee News

The School Committee met on Thursday, September 11 and Thursday, September 18. On September 11, Interim Superintendent Wong and the district leadership team provided a comprehensive update on the work over the summer to ensure a successful school opening. The Committee thanked all of the district's educators, school leaders, and staff who contributed to the smooth start of the 2025-2026 school year. The meeting also included an update about the work of the Expenditures and Revenues Study Committee which led to a discussion about next steps to prepare for a possible override in May 2026. On September 18, the Committee accepted several important grant awards and Interim Superintendent Wong provided an update on her strategic objectives and priorities for the year ahead. Staff presented on the successful implementation of the new literacy curriculum, and the Committee voted on a Capital Improvement Plan request including deferred maintenance projects in each school building.

The School Committee met several times over the summer to consider, discuss and vote on a number of important items.

At a meeting on July 14, the School Committee reviewed plans for solar panels on the Driscoll School roof and discussed plans by the DPW's Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources to install electric vehicle charging stations in school parking lots. The School Committee subsequently met on August 18 to approve the Purchase and Installation Agreement for the Driscoll School rooftop solar panels, which will be fully paid for through the Driscoll School Building Project account. The electricity generated from the solar array is expected to cover approximately 25% of Driscoll School's annual electricity usage. The Committee also approved installation of a new electric vehicle (EV) charging station at Baker School. The EV charging station - to be installed in spring 2026 - will be designated for school use from 7:00 to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, and will be available for community use outside of those designated hours.

At a meeting on July 17, the School Committee met with Dr. Robin Benoit, candidate for Interim Deputy Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. The School Committee was impressed with Dr. Benoit's experience and credentials, and voted to accept Interim Superintendent Wong's recommendation to appoint her to the position. Dr. Benoit will be a tremendous asset to the PSB in the year ahead. The School Committee approved a Memorandum of Agreement with Brookline Recreation for the transition of Brookline Adult and Community Education (BACE) activities. This agreement paved the way for maintaining the legacy of BACE programming that is so highly-valued in the Town, including educational children's vacation programming and educational/enrichment programming for adults.

On August 1, the School Committee met to finalize the appointment of Dr. Karen Shmukler as Interim Superintendent for Student Services for the 2025-2026 school year. Dr. Shmukler had previously been appointed to serve in this capacity from March-June, 2025. The Committee is very pleased that Dr. Shmukler will continue in this role, offering her deep experience and talents to the school district and providing continuity and stability to our staff, students, and families.

The School Committee's meetings for the year ahead have been scheduled; click here.

Regular meetings are held on the 5th floor of Brookline Town Hall in the Walsh School Committee meeting room and start at 6:00pm. The public is invited. The regular meetings are streamed live through our partner Brookline Interactive Group. As each meeting approaches, the agenda and supporting documents are uploaded to the School Committee's meeting materials page. The agenda (in addition to including items that the School Committee will consider and vote on) also includes the time, location, method of remote access, and details for public comment. Meetings are recorded; links to the recordings can also be found on the meeting materials page.

Subcommittee meetings are generally held remotely, via Zoom.

If you would like to receive meeting agendas as soon as they are publicly available, sign-up through the Town’s Agenda Center. Sign-in, click the “subscriptions” button, and toggle the School Committee option. You can use this feature to receive meeting notices for any of the Town’s public boards and commissions.

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