News&Notes from the Superintendent

“Even when life challenges us, it’s a gift beyond all measure.” – Parker Palmer

The quote encapsulates the quiet dignity and selflessness that defines the essence of heroism. On Veterans Day, we honor those who have served in the military, individuals who, driven by a deep sense of duty, sacrificed personal gain for the well-being of others, often in the most challenging and uncelebrated of circumstances. True heroism, as the quote suggests, is not about grand gestures or seeking glory but about the everyday acts of service that make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Yesterday was a day to honor those who served or are serving on behalf of all of us, and we remain incredibly grateful.

As I reflected, I realized that this perspective resonates deeply within the context of K-12 public education, where educators, much like veterans, dedicate themselves to a cause greater than individual success: the education and well-being of our children. The faculty and staff often embody this form of heroism in their unwavering commitment to their students, working tirelessly to provide not only academic instruction but also emotional and social support. They do so without seeking recognition or reward, and frequently under challenging conditions. Just as veterans put others first, educators invest in their communities and their students' futures, sometimes at great personal cost. Veterans Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the courage and humility shared by both military personnel and educators—their service, sacrifice, and dedication to the greater good, quietly shaping the future of our society.

National Honor Society – Veterans Day Dinner

I would like to thank our students from the National Honor Society for all their hard work and commitment as they hosted a Veterans Day dinner in appreciation for those in our community who have served! As always, this is a well-attended event, and they got rave reviews from those present!

Please find below this week’s updates & events happening in our District ~

MARS Research Analyst, Julie Kelley, shared her most recent updates:

The October revenue report has been posted by DOR and state revenue continues to track under benchmark. She continues to recommend that we remain conservative with FY25 appropriations. as well as FY26 budget development with the hope that revenues turn around.

She adds that we should have already received notice directly from OSD that the increase for out of district special education tuition has been corrected to 3.67%. Of note, for those who qualify like SBRSD, we are all still on the lookout for the most recent Rural Aid calculations to be posted.

Ms. Kelley has updated the Regional Transportation history spreadsheet to include the FY24 reimbursement data, and wanted to highlight that it is very difficult for DESE to provide projections to the Governor and legislature when Regional School districts have not all filed their EOYR. If DESE does not have everyone's filing by December, then they must use FY23 data for projections.

Senator Comerford, and Representatives Blais and Domb, have sent a letter to Governor Healey on funding priorities for the FY26 Governor's budget. Ms. Kelley noted her ongoing appreciation of their strong and consistent advocacy for rural and regional school districts.

At the next School Committee meeting, I will present the draft schedule for the Finance Subcommittee meetings where the District and representatives from the towns will review and develop the FY26 Operating, Capital and Debt Proposal to be voted on by the member towns at the Annual Town Meetings next spring.

I will continue to monitor the state budget information and share as information becomes available.

Here are some other important items to highlight:

SBRSD Hosts Voices for Rural Education Showcase ~

I am so pleased to share that our District will be hosting the Voices for Rural Education Showcase at the main campus on Wednesday morning! We are thrilled to welcome the Acting Commissioner of Education, our Local Legislators, DESE representatives, our Community Partners, the School Committee, Select Board Members, and Finance Committee Members. The goal of the event is to showcase the many innovative programs and practices our rural school system has developed as a way to sustain our schools, and to ensure that we meet the collective vision our communities created to provide educational excellence for all students. I look forward to sharing highlights from the day in next week’s edition!

Task Force Initiatives ~

• Improving Attendance Task Force – (Facilitators: Julie Steuernagle and Paul Sullivan, with support from Sandi Hubbard.)
• This group had a second meeting that included discussions on surveys, the use of Wayfinder, a social emotional platform available to our Secondary students, student engagement feedback, health concerns and attendance, and encouraging student involvement. The next meeting will be scheduled to discuss progress on the initiatives that were defined from the topics of conversation above.
  

• Cell Phone Policy Task Force – (Facilitators: Jesse Carpenter and Charles Miller, with support from Julie Dolan.) Next Meeting: November 20th!
  

• The group met and had a productive discussion. They shared some additional resources for the group’s consideration and set their next meeting date in November!
  

School Committee Members & Superintendent Professional Development ~

Last week three School Committee members and I had the opportunity to attend the MASS/MASC Conference hosted annually by these organizations learn alongside colleagues of those same cohorts from across the state. The conference had a large variety of offerings and trainings available, as well as keynote speakers providing the most up to date information and data to support educational initiatives and outcomes. This time to meet together as a collective leadership team for the District is both necessary and incredibly valuable. Those in attendance will share their learnings at a future meeting.

To review the documentation presented at the SBRSD hearing, please see the District website at https://www.sbrsd.org/documents/district/budgets/fy25-budget/716623

Our students will be contributing to tomorrow’s visit by showcasing their involvement in the many programs we are hoping to highlight for the visiting dignitaries and public! They will be part of the entire morning as members of the band, performers, as well as the cooks and servers from our culinary program, and the creators of the highlight video for all our guests! Students in the LEAP program are making their fabulous Unity Mix as a treat and we will be visiting our Integrated Pre-K too. In many classrooms students will be sharing their thoughts and ideas on their experiences and opportunities here at SBRSD, and we couldn’t be more proud!

Also joining us this week in District are our Transcend Partners. They are here to support us and talk about our work during the Showcase, but also for our planned fall visit and professional development time as well.

Our Core Team meetings are happening weekly, and we continue to work on our planning and implementation of this year’s phase of the project. We have been updating the website so that members of the community can interact with all the happenings from the events we hold throughout the year! A link to the Transcend Partnership page can be found here - https://www.sbrsd.org/page/transcend-partnership We encourage other members of our school community to join us in this work and share their thoughts and expertise as we continue our journey forward!

To learn or become a part of this incredible community focused initiative please find the link here at https://www.sbrsd.org/page/transcend-partnership.

This time of year, there are fabulous things happening in our schools and we would like nothing more than to have you here to support our students alongside us!

You still have a chance to head to the athletic competitions going on as the fall seasons wind down and the sign-ups for winter are underway! We have many other events happening including Shakespeare & Company – performances this weekend!, Vex Robotics, College Resource Lab, Grade 12 Spanish Field Trip, and Grade 2 & Pre-k Field Trip to the Mahaiwe Theatre- just to name a few!

Please check the event calendar regularly as it will keep you up to date as will the weekly notes from the Principals.

Take a look at our Early College course offerings below! Do you see a class that interests you? Talk with our Early College Coordinator, Lindy Marcel, and enroll now!

Interested in learning more about our Early College program? Visit our website!

Innovation Pathways offers opportunities for students to explore cutting-edge technology and in-demand fields! The program emphasizes real-world skills through career-focused experiential learning. Participants connect with industry mentors, go on field trips, get set up with internships in their areas of interest, and more!

Mount Everett currently offers two technical pathways in Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology.

To learn more about our Innovation Career Pathways please use the links below! To express interest in learning more about Innovation Pathways please use our form - Expression of Interest Form

Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns as I welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

Best,

~ Dr. Beth Regulbuto, Superintendent of Schools