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New leadership on Plympton’s BOS

By

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.
Attachments
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.

Curry College welcomes Melanie Martin-Plant into the Alexander Graham Bell Honor Society

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Curry College welcomes Melanie Martin-Plant of Halifax into the Alexander Graham Bell Honor Society.
The objective of the Alexander Graham Bell (AGB) Honor Society is to promote and recognize academic excellence at Curry College. The Society is named for the famous inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, who was an early chancellor at Curry College. It was founded in 1971 to recognize and promote academic excellence through a variety of activities at Curry.
The Alexander Graham Bell Honor Society is one of Curry’s most distinguished organizations. Membership in the Society is limited to those students who have achieved Dean’s List every semester while enrolled at Curry College.
Curry College, founded in Boston in 1879, is a private, co-educational, liberal arts-based institution located on 131 acres in Milton, Massachusetts. The College extends its educational programs to a continuing education branch campus in Plymouth. The College offers 24 undergraduate majors in specialized and liberal arts programs, as well as graduate degrees in accounting, business, education, criminal justice, and nursing to a combined enrollment of nearly 2,500 students. The student body consists of 1,700 traditional students and nearly 800 continuing education and graduate students. The College offers a wide array of co-curricular activities ranging from 16 NCAA Division III athletic teams to an outstanding theatre and fine arts program. Visit us on the web at www.curry.edu

Holmes librarian honored on her retirement

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Jean Gallant, Holmes Library Director, has retired after 26 years of service to Halifax. The Friends of the Holmes Library hosted an Open House to celebrate that service on Thursday, May 15.
Betsy Hodge and Jeanne Kling from the Friends of the Holmes Public Library, presented Jean with a beautiful rocking chair to enjoy in her retirement.
State Representatives Kathy LaNatra and Ken Sweezey presented Jean with a legislative proclamation in her honor.
Among other guests were Debbie Conrad from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and Trustees Ellen Snoeyenbos and Tina Palmer, COA Director Darlene Regan, longtime Friends Board Member Joan Brides, and library staff members Deb Adduci and Maria Bumpus.
What will be the next chapter in Jean Gallant’s book of life? Only time will tell.

SLRSD Industry Showcase on May 9

By

Scott Farrell
Special to the Express
On May 9, 31 students from Silver Lake Regional School District, in grades 7 through 12, proudly represented the district at the Industry Showcase held at The TRACK at New Balance in Boston. Sponsored by the One8 Foundation, this statewide event brought together more than 1,500 students to present innovative STEM projects and interact with professionals from various industries.
The showcase highlights how students apply classroom learning to solve real-world problems. Throughout the day, students presented their work and engaged in thoughtful discussions with industry professionals, receiving both oral and written feedback. These conversations offered valuable insight and real-world relevance, helping students better understand professional standards and expectations.
Now in its third year of participation, SLRSD continues to expand its presence at the event. This year’s projects represented a wide range of coursework, including 7th grade science, 8th grade technology/engineering, and engineering courses from grades 9 to 12. Senior Capstone students showcased long-term projects, including a stormwater debris mitigation system, redesigned protective hockey equipment, and a more efficient condiment bottle.
Students consistently described the experience as both challenging and rewarding. Many expressed appreciation for the opportunity to speak with experts who showed genuine interest in their work and helped validate the effort they’ve put in throughout the year.
The staff at SLRSD is incredibly proud—not only of the effort and creativity students demonstrated, but also of their professionalism and maturity in presenting their work. Events like this reflect the meaningful learning happening in our schools and the essential real-world skills our students are developing every day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Selectmen in – Plympton override out

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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.

Halifax Town Meeting action …

By

Justin Evans
Express correspondent
Halifax Town Meeting Addresses Rising Costs and Citizen Petitions
Halifax officials are recommending the use of $745,000 in free cash to balance the town’s fiscal year 2026 budget, as rising education costs and minimal increases in state aid create significant financial challenges.
The proposal came during the May 12 Annual Town Meeting, where Town Administrator Cody Haddad presented an overview of the budget situation to residents.
“Due to significant increases in the cost of education, the town was facing a major budget shortfall,” Haddad explains. “In order to present a balanced budget for FY26, the Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen opted to utilize one-time funds, free cash, in the amount of $745,000 to subsidize the town’s operating budget.”
The town’s estimated revenues for FY26 are $30,635,633, representing a 3.26% increase from FY25. However, this growth is “largely stunted by a continued reduction in new growth and minimal increases in state aid,” according to Haddad.
Education costs are increasing by $1.25 million for FY26, with the Halifax Elementary School budget rising by 11.63% and the Silver Lake Assessment increasing by 5.6%. These increases may necessitate a Proposition 2.5 override to fund the FY27 budget.
“This is a buffer year, recognizing that next year, the town will likely need to go for a Proposition 2.5 override,” Haddad says.
Fixed costs that the town has little control over are also rising significantly. The assessment to Plymouth County retirement is increasing by almost 8%, and health insurance costs are up 8%.
In using free cash to balance the budget, several capital items had to be postponed, including a new ambulance, a police cruiser, and repairs to the historic Blacksmith Shop.
The budget includes reductions in staffing in the administration/selectmen’s office, building maintenance department, and library. Expense accounts in the Fire Department, Board of Health, Council on Aging, and library have also been reduced.
Halifax Elementary School has made several reductions to staffing and expense budgets to present a balanced budget this year.
Finance Committee Chair James Walters notes that the committee was unable to maintain its core values this year, including maintaining existing levels of government services and funding operating budgets exclusively from revenue funds.
The meeting also addressed several citizen petitions, and articles related to the MBTA Communities Act, which mandates certain zoning changes near transit stations.
Town Meeting approved Article 21, a proclamation stating the town’s opposition to the MBTA Zoning Law. The proclamation notes that Halifax “strongly opposes the provisions of Chapter 3A of the Acts of 2021, which mandate multi-family zoning as of right near MBTA stations in communities like Halifax.”
The proclamation urges the Massachusetts Legislature to amend or repeal the law “to restore local control over zoning decisions and to provide municipalities the ability to craft development solutions that are appropriate to their unique conditions and priorities.”
Town Counsel Richard Hucksam informed residents that the town recently filed a complaint in Superior Court asking a judge to issue an injunction to prevent the state from enforcing the MBTA zoning requirements.
“The town is technically in violation of the law,” explains Selectman John Bruno. “What we’re trying to do here is to work within the law, to work within the system, to change the law.”
A citizen petition (Article 25) requesting an impact study on the financial effects of the MBTA zoning law was defeated. The article, proposed by resident Van Donnelly, would have directed the Finance Committee to lead a study on how the MBTA zoning would affect town costs.
“Without an impact study sitting there with our town lawyers, I think we’re looking like we want to agree on something just to get rid of it,” Donnelly argues. “Without this impact study, we have no basis to go forward with lawsuits or anything else we want to do.”
Another citizen petition (Article 26) seeking to impose a moratorium on new building permits due to water supply concerns was also defeated. The article, proposed by resident Amy Troup, cited concerns about water bans, water quality issues, and capacity limitations.
Water Commission Chair Richard Clark strongly opposed the article, stating, “I’ve been with the water department for 40 years… I’ve never heard so much crap in my life.”
Clark explains that the department is currently working on a $3 million project to address water quality concerns. The treatment plant is back online, and the filtration plant is expected to be operational within days.
“When that gets back online, the superintendent is going to schedule some flushing in the areas of town that have had some dirty water during this time,” Clark says. “This fall, we’ll do a complete flushing, which will eliminate all of these problems.”
Town Meeting also approved Article 19, creating a new anti-littering bylaw with a $300 fine per violation. The bylaw was suggested by the town’s Beautification Committee.
“Litter is detrimental to the environment,” explains Beautification Committee Chair Shirley Graf. “Cigarette butts, the number one littered item, contain arsenic, lead, and nicotine, which can leach into our water and soil.”
The meeting marked the last for Town Administrator Cody Haddad and Board of Selectmen Chair John Bruno. In response to the applause at mention of his retirement, Bruno quipped, “Are they applauding because they’re glad I’m retiring, or are they congratulating me?”

Memorial Day Memories and the Civil War

By

By Linda Ibbitson Hurd
Special to the Express
When I was in the fourth grade at Indian Head School in Hanson, I joined the school band. I played the clarinet and kept on with it through Junior High. Every Memorial Day our band marched into the Fern Hill Cemetery in Hanson. We all wore royal blue capes with satin gold colored lining and hats to match with black patent leather visors. Growing up with parents who had served our Country, including some of our mothers, we had heard many stories and were very proud to be part of the Memorial Day ceremony, which we took very seriously. Every year there were three boys chosen to play TAPS on their trumpets, each one placed on a specific hill to be the echo for one another. In spite of the large crowd, it was always a solemn occasion. Our music teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt, were always there to lead us in. ‘Abide With Me’ , one of the songs we played. It took on a whole new meaning when we played it on Memorial Day and I thought about so many people who had lost their lives in the War. The very first time I was in the band and part of the ceremonies when those three young boys played TAPS and it echoed through the cemetery on that beautiful day in May, it struck me that there were young men not much older than some of us who never got to live out their lives. Some years later, I thought about some of my own classmates who never made it home from Vietnam.
In later years as an adult, every parade I went to that Vietnam Vets were in, I applauded and even stepped forward one time to shake the hand of one in the parade who was in a wheel chair. His grasp and the look in his eyes as he thanked me, I will never forget. Even though Vietnam has been labeled as an unpopular War, it’s not the fault of those who served and it angers me that they are not applauded in some of the parades. I was also told by a school mate who had served in Vietnam and still attended Memorial Day ceremonies at Fern Hill, that the gun salute brings back a variety of emotional responses, depending on their experiences. We truly owe so much to so many who fought and sacrificed so much for our Country and our Freedom. It should never be taken for granted. To all who served who are still here, my deepest thanks and gratitude for your service.
When I was in school and we started learning about the Presidents, I was taken with Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and learned all I could about him and that War. One early Spring day in 1983 I was looking out my window. March had given way to April and the crocus were pushing up through the ground in my backyard. I found myself thinking about The Civil War and that it may have started on a Spring day like this. A Free Verse poem came to me so quickly that I picked up my pen, writing fast to keep up with the words and visions I saw. Several years later I found out my Grandfather’s Grandfather, Corporal Edwin W. Pratt had volunteered for the 18th MASS Infantry in August 1861. He was one of only seven members to re-enlist and was moved to the 32nd Infantry and went home to Hanson when the War ended at Appomattox in 1865. There is a famous copyrighted Painting that is also a print by Mort Kunstler (who recently passed away) that is shown on his site called, ’The Salute of Honor’, It shows the Blue and the Grey lined up facing each other the day the War ended; one of the most important moments in American History.

Memorial Day – Lest We Forget

By

Stephani Teran
Express staff
Memorial Day Parade and Celebration Tri Town Schedules and Routes
Plympton
Parade starts at 10 a.m.
Parade Route: The parade forms in front of the Historical Society Building, 189 Main St., and winds its way down Main Street to the Town Gazebo on the Town Green.
A Memorial Day Ceremony will follow the parade at the Town Gazebo with readings of: The Gettysburg Address, In Flanders Field, and an original essay read by a Dennett student titled: What Memorial Day Means to Me.
Following the ceremony there will be a Touch-a- Truck Event and a cookout at the Fire Station with free hot dogs and ice cream at the Plympton Library.
Halifax
Parade Starts at 10 a.m. The parade will form in front of the Halifax Country Club and conclude at Town Hall, 499 Plymouth St.
A Memorial Day Ceremony will follow the parade in front of Town Hall.
Kingston
Parade Starts at 10 a.m.
The parade will form at the WWII Memorial (across from Cancun Restaurant, 145 Main St.) and proceed onto Landing Road, Main Street, Green Street, and Evergreen Street. A Memorial Day ceremony will follow at the Kingston Veterans Memorial. After the ceremony there will be a community cookout behind Town House with free hamburgers and hot dogs. Please bring your own blankets and chairs.

 

Kingston adopts new math for K-8

By

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.

Sen. Fernandes secures $75,000 for Silver Lake schools

By

Jason Fraser
Special to the Express
In a year marked by tight budgets, Senator Dylan Fernandes has stepped forward as a champion for our community. At a time when every dollar counts, the Senator and his dedicated staff secured an earmark for $75,000 in the FY26 state budget for Silver Lake Regional Schools to address safety and accessibility issues on campus.
Since his election in the fall of 2024, Senator Fernandes has been meeting with constituents and community leaders across his district, including members of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. His collaborative leadership has bridged the gap between legislative action and educational needs. His proactive engagement underscores his commitment to the well-being of students, staff, and community members, ensuring that critical issues are addressed promptly. This partnership has yielded tangible outcomes, demonstrating that when policymakers and educational leaders unite, practical, real-world improvements follow.
Jason Fraser, the Legislative Agent for the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, commented, “We extend our deepest gratitude to Senator Dylan Fernandes and his team for their pivotal role in this process. Their foresight, dedication, and willingness to collaborate have transformed fiscal challenges into opportunities for a safer, more accessible campus at the Silver Lake Regional Schools. This collaboration not only reflects the Senator’s commitment to public service but also serves as an inspiration for further partnerships that prioritize community welfare and the future of our educational environment here in Silver Lake and beyond.”