Page 4 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, SEpTEmbER 11, 2026 HART | FROM PAGE 1 Another priority is to have Inclusive and Connected School Communities in which students, families, staff and community members are welcomed, valued and connected at schools where many cultures, languages and experiences of the community are honored and celebrated. Another priority is Empowering Every Students Future, in which every school off ers diverse opportunities that empower students to discover their strengths, pursue their passions, prepare for college, career, civic engagement and future success and contribute positively to their communities. “We have to give students options,” Hart said. The last priority he presented was Partnerships That Support Student Success with strong partnerships among school, families, community organizations, higher education institutions and city leaders to expand opportunities. “We need external experts to come into classrooms to off er their time and talent,” he said. “They provide information you can’t put a value on.” Of the five priorities, he added, “These are things we should be doing. It’s how and how fast we can do it that will make the diff erence. We are editing a fi nal version of the document and the plan is to add action steps.” Ward 4 School Committee member Robin Babcock called the strategic plan “a Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net good balance between hard skills and soft ideas, including academic goals and belonging and connectedness.” She added that the priority Partnerships That Support Student Success will, hopefully, encourage students to build partnerships and realize working with other people is good. Other business In other items, the School Committee acknowledged an increase of $651,950 in state Chapter 70 education aid and referred it to the City Council for incorporation into the Fiscal 2027 budget. Hart said the increase was based on a formula designed to appropriate funds to communities that had a disproportionate loss of students, like Everett. “Enrollment affects funding,” Hart explained. “We didn’t regain all the money we lost, but this is a way of helping us continue to do the work we do, follow initiatives and avoid any large-scale reductions.” The members also accepted grants of $400,000 for Career Technical Initiatives that Hart said will help fund an adult culinary arts course; $210,472 through the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program that will help paraprofessionals earn college Bachelors’ Degrees; $170,948 through Massachusetts 2lst Century Community Learning Centers to help fund afterschool programs at the Lafayette School; $156,053 through the Strengthening Career and Technical Education Secondary Federal Entitlement program, which Hart said will be used at the High School, and $6,000 from the UCLA for the Parent-Teacher Home Visits Program, which Hart said will be used to continue visits to students’ families in the hopes of maintaining or increasing student attendance. He noted the various funds total $1,595,423 in new funding. In other remarks, Hart explained some wrinkles in the school calendar for September. The original plan was to have school open Tuesday, September 1, but that was upended because it was primary Election Day, because the state legislature changed primary election day to September 1 rather than the traditional second Tuesday in September, which was the eighth. That day was originally scheduled and was a professional development day because appearances by consultants could not be cancelled. To make up for not having September 8 as a school day, plans for a professional development day on Monday, January 4 have been cancelled, and it will be a regular school day. In opening remarks at the meeting, at-large member and School Committee chair Samantha Hurley welcomed the other members back to work for the upcoming school year. “A new year has a sense of energy, opportunity and possibility and is a time to refl ect on the important work ahead and all we can accomplish together on behalf of the students and school community,” she said. “As a School Committee, our commitment remains to support our district and students and create an environment where every student has the opportunity to grow and thrive.” She also announced that a new pilot program, Wordly, is being tested. It is a live translation service with which residents can scan a QR code on their phones to choose the language in which they can follow the meeting. “It’s another way we can make meetings more accessible so families can stay more connected to what’s happening in our schools,” she said. Unfortunately, in a recent article in this publication on eff orts to build a new High School or renovate the current one, some remarks by Hurley were mistakenly attributed to former member Samantha Lambert. YOUR LOCAL NEWS & SPORTS IN SIX LANGUAGES. SUBSCRIBE TO THE ADVOCATE ONLINE BY SCANNING HERE!
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