At the February 24 School Committee meeting, there was discussion of the Newman School Improvement Plan, a Human Resources Assessment, the Needham Education Foundation (NEF) Winter Grants, a Pollard Middle School Project Update, and Stephen Palmer Building Discussion.
Public Comment
- Caregiver expresses concerns about school nursing procedures for high risk students and the need for following physician orders
Superintendent Comments
- Dr. Gutekanst thanks DPW and custodians for their efforts of snow clean up after the February 2026 blizzard.
- He also thanks cafeteria staff who prepared meals for the snow clean up crew.
- Dr. Gutekanst stated the reason for the 2/24 snow day was the travel ban for other counties where NPS staff reside.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Newman Elementary School Improvement Plan
Principal Jessica Peterson and members of the Newman School Council presented on 2025 MCAS success, particularly accountability scores and opportunities for growth. One area specific for Newman is Math MCAS scores and equity for low income students.
Other members presented on 3 goals: Academic achievement, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and family engagement.
- Academic achievement will be evaluated through student support teams, utilizing information through the district’s data system, and instructional coaching.
- SEL will be evaluated by tiered counseling supports, attendance data and student reported survey results.
- Family engagement hopes to strengthen connections between families and schools with digital student portfolios, a new family program, and streamlining home to school communication.
The school’s improvement plan for the next 3 years can be found in the packet (pages 36-43).
The School Committee engaged in a robust discussion about supporting the diverse needs of the Newman student body.
Human Resources (HR) and Hiring Process Review
In response to a series of faculty and contracted faculty arrests for possession of child sexual abuse material in the Spring of 2025, the district contracted with The Collins Center from UMass-Boston to review its hiring process and continued monitoring of Needham Public Schools staff.
The Collins Center evaluated 4 key areas:
- Student Safety
- Compliance with policy and state/federal law regarding background checks
- System efficiency
- Equity in process
They concluded that the hiring and supervision of NPS employees is thorough and follows the law. CORI/SORIs are completed before hire and repeated every 3 years.
They recommended that staff conduct policies can be updated, and streamline the hiring process through technological advancements.
Pollard School Project Update
Dr. Gutekanst & Alisa Skatrud presented an update on the Pollard Project
- MSBA has voted on the Pollard Project to advance to Preferred Schematic Design phase. (Voted on 2/25/26).
- Leadership will be traveling to Natick and Saugus high schools to draw inspiration for our school design.
- Construction Manager Risk will be hired in the next month to help manage the construction on an occupied property.
- Most of the new Pollard school will be able to be built in phase 1, only the 6th grade wing would need to be completed in phase 2, which will lessen the costs with shorter construction time.
Stephen Palmer Update
Stephen Palmer is a building that is under the jurisdiction of the School Committee and ultimately will have a vote in how that land/building is used. The building has been used for the past 50 years as housing, and the lease will be ending in October 2026. Some ideas included multigenerational space, rental units for staff, or business entrepreneur space for highschoolers.
ACTION ITEMS
School Committee votes 6-0-0 to accept the Needham Education Foundation (NEF) Winter Grants. Eight grants totaling $27,971 have been awarded. For a full list and description of the grants please click here.
Next School Committee meeting will be March 3rd, 2026 at 6:30pm.