Superintendent outlines FY27 funds, strategic-plan priorities and proposes SEL/health task force

Superintendent Dr. Riley reported to the Wachusett Regional School Committee on the district's FY27 outlook and progress on its strategic plan, saying the state budget was signed and includes a $160-per-student Chapter 70 minimum increase and roughly $550,000 more than the governor's initial proposal. "The Chapter 70 minimum increase for each district is $160 per student," he said, and added that recent state earmarks will fund a security vestibule at the high school and an accessibility lift for the central office curriculum center.

Riley framed the district's strategic-plan work around four objectives: deeper learning, strengthened student supports (MTSS), district systems and structures, and building a culture of belonging and wellness. On curriculum implementation he highlighted elementary STEAM, Project Lead The Way, co-teaching, and career-pathway work at the high school while cautioning that frequent curriculum changes create implementation burdens for teachers. He said writing instruction and consistent use of common assessments remain priorities and that Laura DeRose, the curriculum director, will present more detail later.

On student supports, Riley noted expansion of MTSS interventionists and cited gains on attendance: "an attendance task force ... has resulted in a 7% improvement of our attendance for special education students," he said. He also described the Panorama Student Success dashboard as a multi-year tool for tracking assessments, attendance and interventions but said use of the dashboard is inconsistent across schools and must be standardized so intervention history is documented districtwide.

Riley described facilities and systems work including population and facilities studies done by the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission and recommended a closer look at lease and capital-planning timelines so the district can pursue state building-authority support when appropriate. He also noted improvements to the district website and use of TeachPoint for evaluations.

On safety and wellness, Riley said the district hired a safety coordinator and successfully piloted a Student Ambassador Program at the high school. He flagged gaps in SEL and middle-school health instruction: "We have not adopted an SEL curriculum yet or health curriculum, particularly at the middle-school level," he said, and urged a district-wide response.

Committee members pressed for detail on implementation and timing. A member asked whether a DESE deadline exists for adopting the new frameworks; district staff said the DESE frameworks were released in draft in 2024 and finalized in 2025 but that they were not aware of a mandated implementation date and would double-check. On resources and timing, district leaders recommended convening a multi-stakeholder SEL/health task force (parents, students, counselors, teachers and administrators) and suggested a year-long development process with potential FY28 implementation depending on staffing and the chosen approach.

The superintendent closed by urging the committee to prioritize SEL and health work in the district-improvement plan so it receives the administrative weight and resources necessary to proceed. The committee asked for additional presentations later this summer and for clearer budget implications ahead of next year's planning cycle.

The committee then moved on to recommendations requiring action.