The Scituate School Committee faced nearly an hour of impassioned public testimony on Monday evening following the departure of Jamil Adams, the district’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Students, parents, and educators filled the room to voice their heartbreak and confusion over the elimination of the position, with many like resident Dina Dre calling the decision a step backward for the community. Scituate is a brighter and stronger place because of his work, and the way his dismissal has been handled is nothing short of disgraceful, Dre stated during the comment period. Addressing the crowd’s concerns, Interim Superintendent Thomas Raab reaffirmed his commitment to the district’s values while explaining a shift toward a combined leadership role. I would ask the community to allow me to prove that through my actions and not what you might read about anything that may have happened in the past, Raab said, noting that a new position combining social-emotional learning and diversity efforts is currently being drafted.

Amidst the debate over administrative changes, the committee moved forward with several leadership and athletic updates. Chair Nicole Brandolini addressed a request from the girls' golf team regarding a coaching vacancy, stating, I'd like to thank the captains for advocating for the team, and confirming that the position was being posted immediately. The committee also interviewed and selected a new financial lead for the district. Motion Made by Maria Fenwick to vote to approve Irene P as the interim director of business and finance at Scituate public schools. Motion Passed 5-0. Upon her appointment, Irene P noted her readiness for the role, telling the board, I will provide you with a perfect mix of experience without excess baggage and fresh enthusiasm.

The meeting transitioned into an extensive review of recent MCAS performance data, which Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch characterized as showing significant progress. Our district and all of our schools fall under substantial progress toward targets, Lynch explained, though he noted areas for growth in writing and math at the secondary level. Member Peter Gates questioned the long-term implications of state testing trends, asking, If MCAS were a requirement to graduate, how many of our high schoolers might not have made that requirement? Meanwhile, Member Carey Borkoski lauded the elementary principals for their detailed analysis, saying, I'm just so impressed and appreciative of the deep dive into the data. The board also reviewed draft goals for the 2025-2026 school year and the 2026-2027 academic calendar, where Member Janice Lindblom requested more clarity on certain dates. In the middle of the calendar when you have the election date, can you put in like PD slash election? Lindblom suggested to ensure families understand the schedule.

Following a presentation on the district’s new website and ParentSquare communication tool, Vice Chair Maria Fenwick checked on community engagement by asking, How are we doing downloading of the app? The evening concluded with the approval of two state-mandated policy updates regarding vocational pathways and donation transparency. Motion Made by Janice Lindblom to vote to approve the policy LBA middle school pathway exploration policy as presented. Motion Passed 5-0. This was followed by a final vote to bring gift-giving guidelines into alignment with state law. Motion Made by Janice Lindblom to vote to approve policy KCD public gifts to the schools as presented. Motion Passed 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 10:17 p.m.