Brookline School Committee News

A deeply troubling antisemitic incident occurred in our community over the weekend. Early Sunday morning, a brick bearing the message “Free Palestine” was thrown through the window of a Brookline Jewish-owned kosher grocery store.

While this act did not take place on school grounds, we recognize the deep impact on members of our school community. The store is owned and operated by a PSB family, and this violent act is hauntingly reminiscent of Kristallnacht, the deadly 1938 pogrom against Jews.

We are committed to supporting our Jewish and Israeli students, families, staff and the broader Brookline community in the face of this violent, antisemitic attack, and acknowledging, understanding, and addressing antisemitism in our schools and community. Hateful and violent acts against our Jewish community must not be tolerated.

On June 11, the Interim Superintendent Preliminary Screening Committee completed their interviews of candidates seeking to serve as the Interim Superintendent for the 2025-2026 school year. As a result of that comprehensive process, they recommended four finalists to the School Committee. The School Committee will interview the finalists, in open session, on Monday, June 16 (starting at 5:45pm) and on Tuesday, June 17 (starting at 6:00pm). You are welcome to watch the interviews in-person (@ Town Hall, 5th floor) or through Brookline Interactive Group’s live stream.

The four finalists, and their interview date/time, are: Maureen Binienda (Monday at 6:00pm), Dr. Barbara Cataldo (Monday at 7:00pm), Bella Wong (Tuesday at 6:00pm), and Robert Wargo (Tuesday at 7:00pm). Click on each name to review their resume. If you can’t watch them live, the interviews will be recorded and posted on the School Committee’s meeting materials page. The School Committee expects to deliberate and choose a candidate on Tuesday evening. School Committee members expressed their gratitude to the Preliminary Screening Committee for their thorough review of applications and careful work to create representative and elucidating interview questions, and for their time interviewing applicants and recommending finalists.

The School Committee held a third reading of this proposed policy and, with a minor edit, voted to approve it. The policy will guide the scope and use of exterior cameras in the school district, and clears the way for exterior cameras to be installed on the Brookline High School campus to promote school safety and a secure educational environment.

The School Committee held a special meeting on Tuesday, June 10 to review the School Budget Deficit Review conducted by CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA). Auditors from CLA were in attendance to answer questions. CLA was engaged by the Brookline Town-School Partnership Committee to evaluate the school district’s fiscal year 2025 cost overruns, fiscal year 2026 projected budget deficit, and related school finance controls, processes, and procedures. The final report is available here and the meeting recording is available here.

The Curriculum Subcommittee is meeting on Tuesday, June 17 at 4:00pm. Click here for the agenda.

The School Committee will meet in a workshop format on Monday, July 14, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on the 5th floor of Brookline Town Hall. The schedule of all School Committee meetings is available on the Town's agenda center. As each meeting approaches, the agenda and supporting documents are uploaded. Meeting agendas will always include the time, location, method of remote access, and (for regular meetings) details for public comment.

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.