Justin Evans
Express correspondent
The Plympton Board of Selectmen reorganized its leadership structure during its May 19 meeting, with Dana Smith taking over as chair, Nathaniel Sides as vice chair, and Mark Russo as clerk.
The leadership transition came following recent town elections that saw changes to the board’s composition, including the departure of longtime member John Traynor.
Outgoing Vice Chair Mark Russo, who nominated Smith for the position of chairman, noted that his own time on the board may be limited as his house is currently on the market.
“I am glad to continue to serve sort of in a transitional role, particularly because a couple of the selectmen that had long-term experience are no longer with us,” Russo said. “But at some point when we get to closing, town council has advised me I’ll have to resign.”
Russo offered to continue attending meetings from the audience after his resignation to provide institutional knowledge and assist with the transition. He also volunteered to cover any expenses should a special election be needed to fill his seat.
In his parting remarks as Vice Chair, Russo emphasized the importance of “comity” – courteous and considerate behavior – in town governance.
“When I started out as a selectman 11 years ago, 12 years ago, we were the antithesis of that. One of the main reasons I initially ran for selectman was to promote some courtesy and transparency, and I think over the last decade we’ve done a great job on that,” Russo says.
Smith, accepting the chair position, acknowledged the board’s faith in him and noted the positive engagement from townspeople.
“We’ve actually seen more interaction at these town meetings or the selectmen’s meetings,” Smith said. “It was good to see people being interactive as far as our town government, and I always encourage that, or otherwise I wouldn’t be up here myself.”
Newly elected Selectman Nathaniel Sides expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve.
“I do appreciate the trust that the citizenry has placed in me and I appreciate their support and I look forward to serving the town to the best of my ability,” Sides said.
Sides also acknowledged Traynor’s service, noting that while they “did not always see eye to eye on things,” they shared a commitment to doing what’s best for the town.
The board received an update from Town Administrator Liz Dennehy on the status of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Dennehy reported that while all county funds have been received, several projects remain in progress.
“We have a few projects for Silver Lake, specifically for the HVAC work at the high school and some HVAC work at the middle school,” Dennehy explained. “They’ve only invoiced us for a small portion, so we’re still sitting on those funds basically.”
Another ongoing ARPA-funded project involves drilling wells for the town complex’s public water supply. This project falls under the Town Properties Committee’s oversight, with completion expected by September.
“I think it would probably be wise for this board to get an update from Town Properties, maybe for the June 9 meeting,” Dennehy suggested. “I personally would feel better once those funds are completely expended in the manner that they were authorized by the county.”
Dennehy confirmed that the town has fulfilled its obligations to the U.S. Treasury regarding ARPA funds, having committed all funds before the December 2024 deadline.
The board also addressed several vacancies on town committees, including two on the Town Properties Committee following Traynor’s resignation from that body. The board plans to create a comprehensive social media post outlining all committee vacancies to encourage citizen participation.
“I think if we put it out there that people being interested and so forth on those boards, if we made it not just that, but that any of them that are interested in even giving some information on what those boards specifically do and what it entails and so forth, I think it would be very helpful on social media,” Smith said.
Russo noted that the Town Properties Committee in particular “needs some really talented and savvy people” and suggested the board may need to “restructure what the mission of that organization is and what the communication is and actual authority is.”
The board also acknowledges the success of a recent town meeting, with Russo sharing feedback from Town Counsel John Eichman.
“He came up to me and said, I’ve been to a lot of town meetings and I’ve never seen anything this calm and quiet and actually productive along the way,” Russo recounts.
The meeting adjournedLasell University Students Named to Spring 2025 Dean’s List
NEWTON, MA (05/21/2025)– The Spring 2025 Dean’s List includes students who have completed at least 12 credits as a full-time student in that semester and have achieved a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Sarah Mendes of Halifax MA
Morgan Healy of Kingston MA
For more information contact: Ian Meropol, Chief Communications Officer, at 617-243-2150, or imeropol@lasell.edu.
NOTE: You are receiving this press release because the student or their parents are from your area. This press release above was prepared for: Editor – Plympton-Halifax Express.
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Students named to Dean’s List during the Spring 2025 semester. : http://app.readmedia.com/news/attachment/213528/Image-26.png.jpeg

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after 27 minutes, with the next regular meeting scheduled for June 9.

Elections were held this past Saturday, May 17 for Halifax, Kingston, and Plympton. Highlights and results are below. Please note that these represent the preliminary results as of Monday, May 19.
Halifax
Several of the races on the Halifax ballot were uncontested. Running uncontested, Robert Mullen won a three-year seat on the Board of Assessors, Jessica Page won a three-year term on the Halifax Elementary School Committee, Holly P. Dillon won a two-year term and Christina Palmer a one-year term to the Board of Library Trustees. Additionally, Bruce Sylvester won a five-year term to the Planning Board, Donald Alger Bosworth won a three-year term to the Board of Water Commissioners and Mark Helisek a three-year term to the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. Candice Greene also won a three-year term on the Board of Health.
There were several contested races as well including a coveted seat on the Board of Selectmen. William Smith defeated former Selectman Gordon Andrews to fill the three-year term left vacant when longtime Selectman John Bruno completed his sixth (non-consecutive) term.
There were three candidates for two openings for three-year terms as Constable. Thomas Hammond and Jake Okerfelt narrowly defeated Michael Schleiff to win the seats. There were also three candidates for two three-year terms to the Board of Library Trustees. Ultimately, Rodney Hemingway was defeated, and the seats went to Erin Nagle and Susan Hill.
The final contested race was for a three-year term to the Halifax Housing Authority. As of Monday, May 19, both Amy L. Troup and Lori Costa-Cline were recorded as having received 24 votes apiece. There were 544 ballots left blank for the position. Halifax Town Clerk Susan Lawless told the Express that if the candidates remain tied once the results are certified, the Halifax Housing Authority and the Board of Selectmen will meet jointly to appoint one of them.
Kingston
Kingston’s town election saw an extraordinarily low voter turnout with just four percent of the residents voting. Carl Pike won a seat on the Board of Selectmen for a three-year term defeating opponent Jesse Pyne. With two openings on the Regional School Committee and just two names on the ballot, both Amy Cortright and Megan Garrity Cannon won three-year terms.
Jesse Keith was the only candidate on the ballot for two open three-year terms on the Kingston Elementary School Committee. There were 13 write-in candidates, however, including Sheila Marie Vaughn who won the second seat with a decisive 85 votes. Notably, Timothy Fitzgibbon received 52 write-in votes while none of the other write-ins received more than two votes.
In one of the only contested races, Rosemary Donahoe won a three-year term on the Board of Health over candidates Joseph Casna Jr. and William Kavol.
Uncontested races included Kenneth Stevens for a two-year seat as Assessor, Robert James Erlandsen for a three-year term as Water Commissioner, Joseph Paul Cunningham Jr. for a three-year seat on the Recreation Commission, and Elaine Fiore as Water Commissioner for a three-year term. Both Emily Bruce and Andrew Kostka were named to three-year terms as Library Trustees. Robert Short and Gregory Charles Zec were named Constable for three-year terms.
While the Planning Board didn’t have anyone officially on the ballot, there were 24 write-in candidates and a three-way tie for a five-year term. The Kingston Town Clerk’s office explained that in the case of a write-in tie, the Board of Selectmen in conjunction with the Planning Board will appoint someone. They will choose between Paul Basler, Robert Gosselin Jr., and Norm Harbinson who received three write-in votes each.
In another contest with no official candidates, a three-year term for Assessor was won by Michael Martin who received the most write-in votes of 15 names submitted.
Plympton
Plympton had a significantly higher voter turnout with 30 percent of registered voters casting ballots.
In the one true contested race, incumbent Selectman John Traynor lost his seat to Nathaniel Sides who will serve the three-year term. Another unexpectedly contested race popped up for a three-year term to the Plympton Elementary School Committee where write-in Alex Ritter received 18 votes to candidate Brian Wick’s 60 votes.
Uncontested races included Dean Jafferian for a three-year term as Assessor, Jared Anderson for a three-year term to the Board of Health, and Michael Lemieux and Steven Lewis each to three-year terms on the Finance Committee. Several Library Trustee seats were taken including a two-year term which went to James Lundgren and two three-year terms for Daniel Cadogan and Lillian Ferguson.
Barry DeCristofano won the three-year term for Moderator and Paul D’Angelo Jr. won a five-year term on the Planning Board. Jason Fraser will also serve another three-year term on the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. While no candidate appeared on the ballot for a one-year term as Constable, write-in Peter Klemme did receive 12 votes.
Plympton also voted down the debt exclusion needed to fund the design, construction, equipping, and furnishing of a new Fire Station. The Town Properties Committee has been working on the town-wide campus project including the new Fire Station plans and determined that renovating the existing station would ultimately prove costly and impractical. If the debt exclusion passed, it would have meant, on average, an increase of about $470 annually for taxpayers.

Justin Evans
Express correspondent
Kingston Public Schools is implementing a new mathematics curriculum for grades K-8 starting next school year, following an extensive review process by a committee of teachers and administrators.
The district has selected HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) as its new math program after comparing it with another highly-rated curriculum option, iReady.
“HMH was the one that was highly rated across the board by the teachers in each one of the categories,” said Assistant Superintendent Tricia Clifford, who presented the curriculum update at the May 5 School Committee meeting.
The curriculum change comes as the district’s contract with enVision, its current K-5 math program, expires this spring. The Big Ideas program used for grade 6 will expire next year.
Committee members evaluated both HMH and iReady using a rubric and rating sheets, with HMH emerging as the clear preference. Teachers noted that students found the HMH lessons “more engaging and easier to access” than the alternative.
“We went with HMH in part because the student usability was much better than the other program we reviewed,” said Brian DeSantes the District’s K-6 Curriculum Coordinator.
The district has already begun planning for implementation, with professional development sessions scheduled for this summer and throughout the next school year.
“Choosing a program is important, but the implementation is as important because that is really where we’re going to see it happen in the classroom,” Dr. Clifford explained.
The initial investment for the new curriculum is included in next year’s budget. While the first year will require the largest expenditure for materials, costs are expected to decrease in subsequent years.
The first year cost for the curriculum is $103,000, but the committee expects that to drop going into years 2 and 3 of the contract.
In other school news, Kingston Elementary School Principal Dr. Kerri Whipple reported that 111 students are currently registered for kindergarten for the upcoming school year.
“I connected with all – majority of the local preschools. I’m visiting two more tomorrow,” Dr. Whipple said. “I send them all the kindergarten information. So I’ve done a ton more outreach than I have before and trying to build those relationships with the local preschools.”
Dr. Whipple expressed enthusiasm about these outreach efforts, stating, “I’m having, like, a blast. I don’t want to leave. It’s, like, the best hour when I get to go there to visit them.”
The elementary school also presented positive data on student achievement. Dr. Whipple reported improvements in reading scores across multiple grade levels.
“If you look at last winter to this winter, we’re at 15% increase, which is awesome,” she said regarding first-grade DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) scores. “And I think that has a lot to do with our literacy instruction.”
“We’re teaching OG [Orton-Gillingham] every single day in every single classroom. We’re doing Hegarty. It’s a huge multisensory approach to learning,” Dr. Whipple explained. “I mean, honestly, I am in there, and I’m learning so much. We weren’t taught this way.”
Kingston Intermediate School (KIS) Principal Andy Materna also presented data showing improvements in reading scores but noted that math remains an area of focus.
“We’ve been static in math. We’ve been static in math for a number of years now, and we’re focused on math,” Materna said.
To address this, KIS has already made adjustments to its schedule to allow more time for math instruction. The new district-wide curriculum is expected to further support these efforts.
Both schools are also enhancing their transition programs for students moving between buildings. KIS and KES are collaborating on a second-to-third grade transition night to help families prepare for the move to the intermediate school.
“I’m really excited for it, to start meeting these families,” Materna said. “I’ve gone over to lunch, to the second grade lunch, to meet those kids and hung out with Mr. G. side-by-side. Just that little bit of facetime with students, little things like that.”
The district is also developing a comprehensive literacy plan focusing on five key areas: leadership, assessment, tiered instruction, professional learning, and family engagement.
“As we embark on something as large scale, as looking at curriculums, looking at professional development, all of these things, it’s very advantageous to have a strategy behind who, what, when, where, and how,” Dr. Clifford explained.
The literacy plan will guide the district as it begins reviewing English Language Arts curriculum options in the fall, with potential implementation in the 2026-27 school year.
In other business, the committee approved making information available about a free DARE summer camp for students entering grades 5 and 6. The camp, sponsored by the Kingston Police Department, will be held July 28 through August 1 at Whitman-Hanson.
The committee also mentioned the need to move scholarship funds into an interest-bearing account to enable the awarding of the Fonts scholarships, which haven’t been distributed for about five years due to lack of interest income.
The last day of school for Kingston students is scheduled for Friday, June 13, with the next School Committee meeting set for July 7.

Justin Evans
Express correspondent
Halifax Town Administrator Cody Haddad announced his resignation during the Tuesday, April 29 Board of Selectmen meeting, effective at the end of July, marking the end of a two-year tenure that brought stability to the town.
“I will be resigning from my position as town administrator here effective at the end of July,” Haddad told the board. “It was a personal decision. I think that’s best for me and my family at this time.”
Haddad, who will be returning to Dartmouth as Town Administrator according to Dartmouth Week, emphasized his commitment to helping with the transition over the next few months.
“It certainly wasn’t anywhere near as long as Mr. Bruno’s,” Haddad said of his tenure. “But I think looking back I think I gave the town my all. I think we made a lot of progress.”
The announcement followed a meeting that began with heartfelt tributes to Chair John Bruno, who previously served five terms as a selectman before returning for his non-consecutive sixth term in 2022.
“In typical John Bruno fashion, he didn’t want anything big for his last meeting here,” said Haddad, who thanked express Bruno for his service. “In time of instability, you came back and provided the stability that the town needed.”
Jonathan Selig adds his appreciation, joking that “when I grow up, I want to be John Bruno.”
“We were in some tough times, and I always wondered if there was a bat signal that we sent out,” Selig says. “Because John heard it and to many degree rescued the town.”
Bruno, characteristically humble in his response, reflects on his time serving Halifax.
“I wasn’t expecting anything like this. It’s really unnecessary. It’s my town, too, so I don’t mind pitching in when I can,” Bruno said. “This go-around has been an adventure, really, kind of an adventure in a lot of ways. But I think we’ve managed to bring things back to stability.”
Bruno returned to the board after the resignations of two Selectmen and the Town Administrator, leaving Selig on his own, creating a leadership vacuum in the town.
Following Haddad’s announcement, board members express their appreciation for his leadership during his time in Halifax.
“Cody came in at a crossroads much like you did,” Selig tells Bruno. “He not only settled the waters a little bit but kind of charted a course for us.”
Selig notes that many residents have approached him to praise Haddad’s work, calling him “a shining star,” adding “We went from putting out fires in the now to thinking down the road. And that was refreshing. We started developing plans for not just the next six months, the next couple weeks, but like, what are we going to do down the road?”
Thomas Pratt, the newest member of the board, offered his perspective: “I have nothing to compare Cody to. I think with my election about a year ago, just under a year ago, I was supposed to come in with some sort of adversary reaction to the status quo. I never had another town administrator besides Cody.”
“Anybody you talk to in town, in this building, in this room, has nothing but glowing things to say,” Pratt adds. “I always felt prepared. I was always ready. I was never surprised at what was before us.”
The board discusses beginning the search for Haddad’s replacement immediately, with Bruno suggesting they aim for some overlap between administrators to ensure a smooth transition.
“The end of July will come here faster than we realize it,” Bruno says. “It’s better to have ideally… some sort of an overlap where whoever this is, if we could get them in, say by the beginning of July even.”
Haddad offered to reach out to search firms to get proposals for the board to review at their next meeting.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better tenure,” Haddad says. “I think we accomplished a lot. The board has been phenomenal. I speak with my colleagues all the time, and many people are not as fortunate as I am to have had such a phenomenal board.”
He assures the board and residents that he remains committed to Halifax for his remaining months.
“I’m not going anywhere yet. I still have a few months of work here. We still have a lot of work to do. I’m not going to let off the gas here.”
Haddad also promises continued support even after his departure: “My number is not changing. Even if I’m no longer here, I’ll always be supportive of Halifax.”
The meeting also included the introduction of Joe Braga as interim building commissioner, approval of a motorcycle safety awareness proclamation, and discussion of a petition article for town meeting regarding land acquisition.
The board unanimously approved several other items, including a $1.3 million borrowing for water treatment plant upgrades, a contract for Town Hall portico repairs, and a three-year contract for Town Accountant Lindsay Martinelli.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, April 22. Kingston Police Department Detective/Lieutenant Mike Skowyra, who oversees tactical and firearm training, presented before the Selectmen regarding a firearm’s training request. Skowyra explained that there was a need for a range due to the necessity of firearms annual qualification and training as well as less lethal shotgun training and taser training. He said that they have had to utilize range space from other towns/departments which creates scheduling issues as well as other problems. He said that another alternative would be to pay to use private gun ranges in the area. “If we were to build this range in the proposed space… we currently anticipate… really no additional cost,” Skowyra said. He did note that there could be a potential for a $1,000 cost to bring in an excavator. He also noted that if they had to fire lead-free ammo, there would be a slight increase in cost which would equate to about $250-$500 per year.

Regarding site selection, Skowyra said that they had a number of restrictions to contend with, including being prohibited from being 500 ft from a residence and 150 ft from a roadway. The site is also not allowed on conservation property or within wetlands. He said that left them with one viable property – the waster water and transfer station property. Skowyra did note that they planned to do most of the activity on the range while the transfer station is closed.

Skowyra acknowledged that residents would be able to hear the gunshots. Selectman Kimberley Emberg was unable to attend but did pass her concern along to Selectmen Chair Eric Crone to share. Crone said that both he and Emberg felt that there should be a public hearing available to residents within a certain radius that may be affected by the noise. Town Administrator Keith Hickey said that could be setup. Crone said that while he supported the public hearing, it was a “noisy area” regardless including noise from the nearby train station. The public hearing is scheduled for May 6 and maps are available on the town website.

The Selectmen also held a public hearing for a street acceptance for Timber Ridge and Sequoia Dr.

Hickey said, “these two roads are in such good shape and new, the need to have the initial review to determine what improvements need to be made, doesn’t need to happen.” Hickey said that if they received 90 percent of signatures from the homeowners, they might be able to bring it before the town at the fall town meeting. Crone said that it doesn’t cost the town anything in the immediate to accept the streets but noted that it meant in the future they would be responsible for upkeep. Crone asked if any of the affected residents didn’t want the roads accepted and was told “everyone has been positive so far.” The Selectmen voted to approve the request from 34 South St. Homeowner’s Association Trust to move to the next step in the road acceptance policy.

Crone said they had a request to reduce the number of available razor clam licenses which previously had been set at 11 licenses annually. He said that the Board asked the Shellfish Constable to establish a minimum number of shellfish to be harvested by each license holder to maintain their license from the previous year. The Shellfish Constable, however, was not recommending a minimum as there is no waiting list for licenses now. The current Harbormaster and Shellfish Constable is requesting that the licenses be reduced to nine; there are currently nine license holders and no waiting list. The Selectmen voted to approve the renewal of the nine razor clam licenses through June 30, 2026. The license fee was set at $300 and the number of licenses was reduced to nine.

The Board took up whether to allow early voting for the annual town election. Hickey told the Selectmen that the Town Clerk was requesting they not approve early voting for the annual election in May. The Selectmen voted unanimously to support no early voting.
Crone told his fellow Selectmen that they had a request to refinance an affordable living unit. “The owners of the property at 27 Bog View Rd. purchased the property through an affordable living unit lottery through the Office of Housing and Living Communities,” Crone said. The Board approved the request to refinance the property with a few stipulations.

The Board also voted to approve a one-year employment contract with Deputy Fire Chief Adam Hatch.

Before adjourning, Hickey provided some updates including several Fire Department grants. A grant was awarded in the amount of $4k for student awareness of Fire education, $2,200 for senior awareness of Fire Education, and $4,554 for firefighter safety equipment. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has also awarded Kingston a $44,000 grant to update the town’s Housing Production Plan and Housing Needs Assessment.

Justin Evans
Express correspondent
Halifax is grappling with significant budget constraints for fiscal year 2026, with town officials projecting minimal new growth and substantial increases in education costs.
Town Administrator Cody Haddad presented the fiscal year 2026 budget overview during a recent Finance Committee budget forum, highlighting the challenges facing the town.
“What we saw for fiscal 26 was we have little to no growth in Halifax anticipated for the year,” Haddad says. “We’re confident we’re not going to get $100,000 in new growth for fiscal 26.”
The town is projecting only $75,000 in new growth for the upcoming fiscal year, a dramatic decrease from the more than $300,000 seen five years ago. This decline in growth significantly impacts Halifax’s ability to fund services and capital projects.
Education costs represent the largest increases in the town’s operating budget. Halifax Elementary School’s budget is increasing by 11.63%, amounting to $793,675, while Silver Lake’s assessment is rising by 5.6%, or $455,530.
To balance the budget amid these challenges, town officials plan to use $745,000 in free cash to subsidize the operating budget, despite recommendations against this practice from the financial team.
“That was not recommended by myself and our financial team,” Haddad explained. “The town relies on the free cash to fund capital items, and without that, we would not be funding all of our capital items. It also creates a fiscal cliff in fiscal 27.”
The total recommended budget for fiscal year 2026 stands at $31,380,584. Town departments, including public safety, general government, and highway, make up 26.4% of the total operating budget. Insurance and benefits account for 12.6%, while the elementary school represents 24.27% and Silver Lake comprises 27.36%.
In addition to using free cash, the town is implementing various cost-cutting measures. These include removing a new ambulance, a police cruiser, and repairs to the blacksmith shop from the capital plan. Staffing reductions will affect the administration and Selectman’s office, building maintenance, and the library.
Halifax Elementary School has also had to make several reductions from its initially requested budget.
The town’s revenue picture shows the tax levy accounting for 65% of total revenues at $20,401,342. Local receipts, including motor vehicle excise tax, marijuana income, and meals tax, are estimated at $2.731 million, representing 8.7% of revenues. State aid is projected at $4.861 million, or 15.5% of revenues.
Haddad notes that state aid, particularly around education, is not being provided at appropriate levels. “We’re not being reimbursed or given the aid at levels that we should be,” he says.
Fixed costs are also putting pressure on the budget. Plymouth County retirement is increasing by nearly 8%, amounting to $150,000, while group insurance for health coverage is rising by 8%, adding almost $100,000 to expenses.
Public safety departments are maintaining essentially flat budgets from fiscal year 2025 to 2026, with some line-item adjustments. The police department is seeing savings due to senior officers retiring and being replaced by new officers at lower rates.
The town is also facing new expenses, including required PFAS testing for the town-owned landfill. This testing will cost approximately $10,000 annually for the foreseeable future.
“We were notified by DEP in late 2024 that we were going to have to start conducting this PFAS testing,” Haddad explains. “We had not previously been required to do that.”
Another notable increase is in the Veterans Agent salary, which is rising by $11,500 to meet state requirements. The state recently mandated that veterans’ agents must work at least 20 hours per week to maintain accreditation for processing veterans’ claims.
The legal account is increasing by $30,000 due to anticipated litigation regarding MBTA zoning compliance issues and upcoming negotiations with five of the town’s seven unions.
Haddad emphasized that unlike households, municipalities have limited flexibility in reducing costs. “Unlike at home, where if you want your heating bill to be a little bit lower because you need to penny pinch a little bit this month, you can turn down your thermostat and throw on a sweatshirt… We don’t have that flexibility within a municipality.”
The town plans to hold another budget forum on May 5, a week before town meeting, to provide residents with additional information and answer questions about the fiscal year 2026 budget.

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee met on Thursday, April 10. Superintendent Jill Proulx introduced the results from various surveys taken. This past winter, students took the SAEBER (Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk) screener. The level of risk was assessed for each school for Grades K-6. Only three percent of students across Kingston, Plympton, and Halifax were deemed high risk. Plympton had the lowest percentage of students in the “some risk” category at just 9 percent while Kingston and Halifax ranged between 13 and 18 percent. The vast majority of students in Grades K-6 across the three towns fell into the low risk category.
A separate survey was given for students in Grades 7-12, faculty and staff, and families as part of the DESE Tiered Focus Monitoring program. Some key takeaways included that 92 percent of students felt welcome to participate in student activities and that students would like to see new activities/sports offered including dance team, golf, and ping pong.
A presentation was given on student performance through the middle of the year. For English/Language Arts (ELA) students meeting or exceeding grade level expectations in Kingston is 42 percent, in Halifax it is 55 percent, and at the Dennett it is 53 percent. The district-wide goal is to reach 70 percent. For math, 48 percent of Kingston, 55 percent of Halifax, and 56 percent of Dennett students are meeting or exceeding expectations. For science, 52 percent of Kingston students, 60 percent of Halifax students, and 63 percent of Dennett students were meeting or exceeding expectations.
Results from both MCAS and STAR testing for Grades 7 and 8 were also provided. Comparing last year’s MCAS scores to this year’s STAR, the number of students meeting or exceeding expectations for seventh grade is 22 percent higher than last year. It is 18 percent higher for eighth grade. They also reviewed performance for Grades 9 and 10. For reading, 64 percent of ninth graders are meeting or exceeding expectations while 50 percent are for tenth grade. It was stated, however, that the AP Seminar students were not included in the tenth-grade scores.
Chair Gordon Laws said, “Tonight’s presentation represents a lot of progress in my view on a number of levels. Not just from a standpoint of generally good improvements, but from a process standpoint as well. Several years ago, when I started on the School Committee, we couldn’t have a discussion on looking at grade level assessments or pre-assessments other than MCAS and we couldn’t relate whether those pre-assessments were predictive or correlated or related in any way to how MCAS looks. The fact that we are able to do this now… and have data-driven discussion, is really, really good progress.”
While Committee member Jason Fraser was unable to attend in person, he did pass along a Legislative Agent’s update. In it, he said that the House Ways and Means budget was set to be released the following week. Fraser said that significant increases to education appear unlikely but noted that the MASC (Massachusetts Association of School Committees) was still advocating for key measures. Amongst those is a $200 per pupil funding increment. They are also advocating for raising the state reimbursement rate for extraordinary special education costs to 90 percent.
Director of Finance and Operations Sarah Hickey told the Committee, “The Governor’s budget comes out in January – there’s initial amounts for Chapter 70 funding and then that goes to the House. The initial regional transportation reimbursement from the State from the Governor was $795,726; the House voted to fund regional transportation at 100 percent which would give Silver Lake $1,151,117 if that passes the Senate and then the Conference Committee for the final budget.” She noted that there is a potential for Silver Lake to receive $355k from the state and asked the Committee to consider additional staffing for the business office should that happen. Laws said that while it was worthy for debate, it was not on the agenda for further discussion and asked that they table it for a future meeting.
Regarding the School Resource Officer (SRO) at the Middle School, Proulx said, “We had received a request from the Chief for the School Committee to consider funding the SRO at 0.8 FTE for the upcoming school year out of our budget.” She said that the Town Administrator asked if the schools could pick up the cost for full-time benefits as it was not included in their budget. This would be on top of the $80k already allocated for the SRO. Proulx said it would be an increase of nearly $19,000.
The Committee was also told that the position likely wouldn’t be filled until December/January. Hickey said that she had asked their attorney to put together an inter-municipal agreement so they could have something in writing. She noted that what was agreed upon previously was that Silver Lake Regional would pay $80k at an expense of $10k per month. “So then it was explained that the patrolman would have to be hired and would have to go through the Academy and wouldn’t be able to start at the schools until later in the year.” She said that this would mean that the portion of the $80k that wouldn’t be spent on salary, would be used, instead, to pay the benefits.
Committee member Jeanne Coleman called it a bait and switch. Laws said, “I felt like we took a lot of heat from the towns and particularly that town about the state of our budget deliberations… and took a lot of grief over being able to project what our costs are and now that we locked them, we are being asked to readjust them and it doesn’t feel great.” Coleman said that part of the agreement was the understanding that they would not be paying for the benefits. She did acknowledge that the Police Department had asked for an override for their budget that the Selectmen did not vote to support, leaving them to have to find ways to trim their budget. Later in the meeting, Hickey clarified saying that she heard from the Kingston Town Manager and “the cost that he is looking for Silver Lake to pay for salary and benefits is $66,667… which fits within the $80k.”
Principal Michaela Gill provided an update. She said that she was “super excited” to announce that the school had received a $47,000 grant to help create more biomedical pathways. Gill also announced that student Olivia Silveira won a Best in Show award and her artwork will be displayed in Congress in Washington D.C. Gill said there were many staff members, herself included, already wanting to buy her artwork.
Gill also told the Committee that they had a proposal from the Athletic Director to establish a summer strength and conditioning program for student athletes that would be supervised by the trainer. Gill said it would run for six weeks, three days a week. The Committee voted in favor of the proposal.
The Committee also voted on whether to continue with last year’s withdrawal from school choice. The Committee cited both financial and space concerns in their vote to once again withdraw.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on April 1. They discussed the warrant for the upcoming Town Meeting.
Town Administrator Keith Hickey said that in the warrant there is a request for a Proposition 2 ½ override of $653,000. He told the Selectmen that what they were viewing that night was his attempt to provide alternatives to get the town below the threshold for a Prop 2 ½ override. “The two warrant articles I’m suggesting is not including a Proposition 2 ½ override for $575,000 for the Police Department and also removing the warrant article to fund the independent school operational out of $100,000. If those two articles are removed from the warrant, you’ll have an excess property tax levy of $21,656… not a lot of money.”
Selectman Eric Crone said that as far as the Selectmen were concerned the $575k override was already a no vote. He said that the idea to reduce the transferred employment liability reserve fund from $150k to $100k was favorable. Hickey said that the reduction would not have an effect on excess levy capacity, but rather on free cash. Hickey also suggested reducing the OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) from $100k to $50k. There would also be a transfer of $100k from stabilization. Hickey noted that they were not putting the town into any type of financial risk with these changes. Finally, Hickey told the Selectmen that the Finance Committee voted to restore the $25,000 book budget that had been previously cut from the library.
Hickey said that there is just over $3 million in the Stabilization Fund and noted that it has been years since they’ve had to access that and called it a last resort.
The Selectmen also discussed the school budget. Selectman Kimberley Emberg said, “I think we need to dig in deeper with this and I know the School Committees are doing as much as they can with the State… trying to adjust funding formulas and things. My understanding is we do have audits done, both at the town level and the school level already. I know Whitman-Hanson did a separate audit and found some interesting findings. My hope was that we would do an audit prior to having to ask for an override.” She said that she didn’t believe the town to have $100k, however, to do that. Crone recommended that they talk to the other two Silver Lake towns to look at everything. “And I want to point out, I’m not bashing any school committees because I think that everyone is trying to get a hold of this,” Crone said. He noted that they have a lot of work to do before next year’s budget “in preparation for the fiscal cliff that we’re going to see next year.”
The Selectmen also heard several FY26 capital requests. These included $25,000 to repair or replace folding wall panels at the COA, $51k to replace computer servers, $50k for traffic safety improvements, $233k to replace three police vehicles, and $167k to replace police tasers. There is also $82k to replace a lift at the Highway Department, $50k to replace the KES drain lines for the restrooms, and $50k to replace driveway and other asphalt surfaces at KIS. The top five bicycle and pedestrian safety projects were discussed as there is a grant available to cover construction. The town would need to pay for engineering to secure said grants. Included in that engineering cost is $151k for one project, $160k for another, and finally $49,500 for the most pressing of all the projects.
Town Planner Valerie Massard presented to the Selectmen. She said that they have been working with Second Horizon Capital on the redevelopment of the Kingston Collection. She said that in addition to purchasing the mall, they’ve also purchased the Macy’s building. “In order to generate traffic and get people on the ground at the mall, is a gas station,” Massard said. She said that there was some unused Fire Department land that could be named surplus property and redistributed toward the gas station project. Massard said they fully support the article and hope that the Selectmen will as well.
Massard added, “All of us are familiar as residents if you’re driving on Kingston Collection way and away from Plymouth and toward the highway, there’s a place where you’re coming around the bend on your way to the signals… and you can’t see them, there’s a blind hill that keeps you from seeing them and part of those negotiations do include the taking back of that hill to improve sight lines so it’s a safety consideration that the town gets as a win-win.” Selectman Kimberely Emberg said, “commercial business is good for everybody.”
The Sewer Commissioner presented before the Selectmen requesting their support for an FY26 warrant article funding request. She said, “In the late 1990s the town embraced the role of environmental steward of our local waterways with the introduction of our municipal sewer system… with the introduction… our local waterways… are being utilized to their fullest extent.” She went on to talk about the fishing and recreation opportunities that have come as a result as well as the clean drinking water. She said that the general fund has also seen an increased tax base due to increased property values.
She read from a 1998 document that discussed two different phases including a leaching field. “The town is currently paying one-third of the cost of phase one… the town is not paying one-third of the cost of the planned phase two as described in the notification from 1997. At this time, we are asking for the town to pay one-third of the cost of the leaching field project… the estimated final cost of the leaching field project as it was part of the adopted plan from 1997; the estimated final cost of the leaching field project is $8,200,000 including interest.” The town’s share would be just under $3 million. She spoke about needing to set up a debt schedule that would commit the town for twenty years.
Crone said that the Board would be voting their support for or against the article and speaking on the Town Meeting floor either supporting it or not. Hickey said, “The impression I’ve been left with… the agreement that was made twenty-five years ago where it said initially that the sewer commissioners would set the percentage of debt that was going to be shared by the general fund and later modified a little bit did not bind future town meetings; it’s been going on because it’s been accepted practice.”
Crone reminded everyone that Town Meeting will be held on April 26 and the Town Election on May 17. It was also said that Gray’s Beach stickers went for sale and can be found on the Recreation Department website. Out of town stickers sold out in a mere 15 minutes.

The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, March 25. Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes had an appointment with the Board. “He’s requesting that we reconsider the March 12 vote to sponsor a prop 2 ½ warrant article to provide an additional $575,000 for a sergeant, patrolmen, and related benefits to the Police Department,” Selectman Eric Crone explained.
Holmes said, “One of the most prevalent issues in the recent presidential election was national security… I did a live interview with WATD yesterday… and then we shared that interview on Facebook with the concerns we have with staffing. Once again, we’re asking for the town to allow for the annual Town Meeting to make the call about whether or not this town has the appetite for an override.” He continued, “Failing the success of an override for the Police Department, we could literally end up waiting years for any kind of significant growth. This is a workplace safety issue; this is an officer safety issue… and this bears the potential for liability on the part of the town on so many levels.” He alluded to pending grants and said that he has worked on finding alternative sources of funding for the Department.
Holmes said that Silver Lake Regional has agreed to fund an additional school resource officer. He noted that Duxbury’s override just failed and said that going for these overrides were becoming a way to deal with increasing financial crises in surrounding communities. “I believe that the town residents should have the right to weigh in. The options before you, in my opinion, are 1. Take no action. 2. Reconsider the vote of two weeks ago and let the Town Meeting decide by way of a warrant article or 3. Hold a public hearing in a week. Hold that hearing to determine whether or not there is support for it,” Holmes said. He told the Selectmen he has heard a lot of support for the Department’s request. The Selectmen clarified that the Department would like to see the addition of a Deputy Chief, a Sergeant, and three more Patrolmen.
Selectman Kimberley Emberg said that in the last 33 years, Kingston has asked for an override six times and four of them have failed. “My concern is if we ask for an override this year, we will not be able to ask for one next year – that we would be setting up a potential override for next year to fail… we’re up at the levy limit, we have no excess levy capacity; to the point where if something happens, all we have is half a million dollars in free cash – that’s not much of a saving’s account,” Emberg said. She said that while she supported the Police Department and their needs, the numbers this year don’t warrant the requests. She added, “If we go to Town Meeting now and ask for a Police override, we’re putting Police over everything else because it will shut everything else down for next year and that’s my fear.” The Selectmen decided to hold off on taking a vote until they have the full Board present.
Fire Chief Mark Douglass appeared before the Board for a supplemental budget request in the amount of $125,000 to assist with a $159,551 deficit within the personnel lines. “This past year we’ve had a number of extended injuries that have gone long-term… due to the increased call volume, we’ve ended up calling people back a lot more than we were,” Douglass said. He noted a significant increase in call volume over last year. The Selectmen voted to include a warrant article at Town Meeting seeking supplemental appropriation for the Fire Department in the amount of $125,000.
Selectmen also voted to support a resolution in support of the No Cuts to Public Schools Act which would protect funding that allows public schools to serve students of various needs appropriately. The resolution recognized the ways in which special education tuition and transportation as well as other educational needs are outpacing available funding in most surrounding communities.
Two members of the Agricultural Commission spoke during open forum. They said that they would be sponsoring a vegetable growing/gardening event at the Senior Center in April. They also said that Karen Johnson would be resigning from the Commission and they thanked her for all of her hard work over the years including her work with 4-H and rescuing horses.
The Selectmen also accepted a resignation from the Council on Aging Advisory Board for Mary Hayes. They also appointed Lucy Coletta as an associate member to the Council on Aging Advisory Board. Finally, Joseph Cunningham III was appointed to the Kingston 300th Committee for the duration of the project.
Town Administrator Keith Hickey provided some updates. He said that the town received a call a few weeks back from a company called Business View Magazine. Kingston was selected by them to be part of a television series called The Best of Massachusetts: A Talent for Innovation. Hickey said a small magazine would also be published as well. “I think it’s a great opportunity for Kingston to be highlighted,” he said. He did note that it would be at no cost to the town.
Hickey also said that the town met with MassDot to discuss the final paving of the Main Street water line. They will be closing two exit ramps off of Rt. 3 during the work which is tentatively scheduled for April vacation. Hickey noted that there will be traffic impact.
The Selectmen held a public hearing for a street acceptance for Russell’s Pond Road. “Best case scenario, we’re probably looking at a fall Town Meeting to potentially approve the road depending on whether everything gets done that needs to get done,” Hickey said. Town Planner Valerie Messard, who has been working with the residents of the street, also spoke. “The benefit for the residents, obviously, is that we would be plowing that road and maintaining it during the winter and also paving it every couple of years using Chapter 90 funds,” Crone added.