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Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Galusi says it’s all systems go for opening day for Medford Public Schools on Sept. 2. It was a busy summer for Galusi and the administration as they geared up for another academic year full of changes.
Take the week of Aug. 24, for instance. The incoming Class of 2030 walked through Medford High School for the first time, making their way through an orientation program that will help them set up for success.
And it’s not just the students. From Aug. 25 through 27, new staffers received training about what makes Medford tick.
“The first day was all about Medford,” Galusi said. “It was all about our values. What was great about that first session was that we brought in a student panel, 20 students in rising fifth-grade to 12th grade.”
The students talked about what contributed to their sense of belonging in Medford Public Schools, something Galusi has pinpointed as a key goal during her time as interim superintendent and since she’s been permanently in the role.
“Last year, it was a sense of collective belonging,” she said. “This year….”
Galusi said it would be unfair to talk about what she sees as the next step in making students, caregivers, staffers, administrators, and the community at large feel that sense of belonging. However, Galusi said all will be revealed when staffers gather on Sept. 1 for her welcome-back assembly.
Overall, Medford is welcoming to the district about 30 new teachers, including two new administrators, four nurses and 10 paraprofessionals.
One of the new administrators will be Kim Clinton, who currently oversees special education at the high school and Andrews Middle School. Clinton will move into the director of student services job being vacated by Joan Bowen, who will retire in mid-September.
During the Aug. 24 School Committee meeting, Bowen was honored for her years of service to Medford. Every member of the board, including the mayor, spoke about how much they will miss her and how incredibly she’s done the job over the years.
Additionally, Galusi said Chief of Operations Ken Lord now has a full team, with the hiring of project manager Hely Medeiros. She said the district also hired Ryan Pike as its new director of facilities following the retirement of John McLaughlin.
New programs
What programs have got Galusi excited this coming academic year? The superintendent said it’s not so much specific programming, but the presentation of the district’s strategic plan.
“It’s the work of the district for the next five years,” Galusi said of the plan. “It’s the goals we’re setting, the action items.”
Galusi said the district does not currently have a strategic plan because it expired two years ago.
“There are loads of other things happening that will be part of the plan,” she said. “Plus we need operations and financing in order to drive this boat!”
Because there’s so much work, Galusi said, the district has been working with the Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston University over the past two years thanks to a grant from the Barr Foundation. She said the partnership will allow Medford’s staff to keep working through the cognitive load while the Lynch folks help organize the material.
Galusi said she’s hoping to unveil her plan on Sept. 14 during the School Committee’s first meeting of the new year.
Once the plan is out there, she said, stakeholders will have plenty of opportunities to provide feedback. The district already has some data, thanks to surveys and roundtables done by the district and School Committee.
Sometime in the winter, the School Committee will receive an update on the plan and any changes being made. The final plan will be up for a vote by the board in the spring.
“Belonging…consistency…coherence,” Galusi said. “This is a big program and a big push based on those three words.”
Facilities
You may have heard Medford is in the process of building a new high school. But, there are plenty of other projects and updates in the works and ongoing.
Galusi said the roof replacement/HVAC projects being done under the Massachusetts School Building Accelerated Repair Program are almost done.
And on Aug. 24, the School Committee unanimously voted to move forward with a similar project at the Roberts Elementary School. Schematic plans were submitted Aug. 27 to the MSBA in order to meet a deadline for that group’s board meeting on Oct. 8.
Once the project is approved by the state, the Medford City Council will need to approve funding for the project, which is estimated to be about $2.77 million for this phase. The city will be reimbursed at 53.32% by the state.
MHS seniors from the Class of 2027 have painted their parking spots, which were purchased as a class fundraiser. GOTTA KNOW MEDFORD STAFF PHOTOS/Nell Escobar Coakley
Construction is estimated to begin at the end of the 2027 school year and run into 2028, with a majority of the work being done during the summer and holidays in order to keep disruption to a minimum.
A similar Missituk project will reportedly start in 2027, followed by the Brooks in 2028.
During a June 15 meeting, the School Committee heard a presentation from RFS Engineering and PCA360 regarding the project. Read that story here.
But aside from all those heavy-lifting projects, Galusi has been monitoring something going on outside her very window.
During the past three years, seniors at MHS have been “buying” parking spaces and decorating them.
Spots cost $30 and only members of the Class of 2027 can paint them, but all designs are pre-submitted for approval to class advisors. All proceeds go to the class.
Students purchase their own paint and materials, and the spot is theirs for the year during school hours. There are specific rules on what sort of paint can be used, and designs from last year were painted over by the Department of Public Works earlier in the summer so seniors could have a fresh canvas.
