Over the past decade, the levels of stress and anxiety reported by Holliston High School and Middle School students have become a top concern. In 2015, the Superintendent’s Task Force on Student Stress was formed to take a close look at what could be done to better support the social-emotional health of our students. As part of that study, a survey indicated that most middle school students (55 percent) and the vast majority (74 percent) of High School students reported not getting enough sleep. Because sleep experts have shown that the natural sleep cycle of adolescents runs about two hours later than both adults and young children, there has been a push across the country to move start times later for older students. Armed with both research and first-hand accounts from students, the Task Force named a change in start times as one of its top recommendations when it finalized its report in 2016.

With the work of the Task Force complete, the recommendations were given to the School Committee for further action. The School Start Time Subcommittee, made up of three members of the School Committee, began its work by examining the wealth of research on the optimal sleep cycles of teens and on the specific recommendation to better align the start times of middle and high schools to that optimal sleep cycle. This work was driven by the overwhelming evidence that making that change would result in improvements in our students’ physical health and safety (reduced rates of motor vehicle crashes due to “drowsy driving” and increased levels of physical activity); mental health and behavior (reduced risk for anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, increased motivation and reduced vulnerability to stress); and academic and student performance (improvements in academic performance and school attendance and a decreased drop-out rate).

The Subcommittee learned through its research that re-aligning start times brought with it some significant challenges, particularly in the areas of scheduling after-school sports and activities and the impact that any change would have on school bus transportation, community traffic patterns, before- and after-school child care and family routines. Most of these impacts are unique to the community and required considerable study and analysis before determining the best course of action for Holliston.

Phase I - Fall 2016 through Fall 2018

Recognizing that there are a number of factors that are unique to Holliston and unalterable (the geography and traffic patterns of our community, and the location and grade-structure of our schools) , the Subcommittee developed three scenarios that would account for those factors and, at the same time, provide for a moderate adjustment to our middle and high school start times. The cost factors (related to transportation) were also reviewed. School administrators were interviewed and shared their feedback on the scenarios under consideration.

In May 2017, the Subcommittee issued a comprehensive survey to students, staff, and parents and compiled and analyzed those survey results over the course of fall 2017. On November 28, 2017, the Subcommittee presented a summary of their work to the Holliston School Committee and the School Committee asked the Subcommittee to continue to explore this topic with an understanding that any changes, if any, to school start times resulting from this study would be implemented NO EARLIER than the 2019-2020 school year. During the Winter and Spring of 2018, the Subcommittee worked with the Administration in an effort to develop a plan to implement the preferred scenario. In the Fall of 2018, the Subcommittee reported that the preferred scenario (which called for Miller and Placentino Schools to open at the same time) was not feasible, as the elementary campus was physically unable to safely accommodate the car and bus traffic that a simultaneous dismissal would generate. In addition, the parent/community survey results indicated that parents strongly opposed any diversion of funds from programs or an increase in fees to accommodate any changes in school start times (i.e. an override).

Phase II - Winter 2018 to Spring 2019

The Subcommittee went back to the drawing board with a renewed commitment to finding a scenario that would adjust start times for our older students while remaining cost-neutral. After brainstorming options, the Subcommittee decided to bring forward an option that would switch the HS/MS start/end times with the Miller start/end times. The Subcommittee developed and issued a second survey to all parents and reviewed the results of the survey with the School Committee at its May 16, 2019 meeting. The School Committee has subsequently voted to change the start dates of the Holliston Public Schools, effective the start of the 2020-2021 school year as follows:

Current School Times	Revised New Times Effective 2020-21 School Year	Change
HHS 7:30 AM – 2:03 PM	HHS 8:10 AM – 2:43 PM	40 minutes LATER
Adams 7:30 AM – 1:53 PM	Adams 8:10 AM – 2:33 PM	40 minutes LATER
Miller 8:10 AM – 2:33 PM	Miller 7:30 AM – 1:53 PM	40 minutes EARLIER
Placentino 8:50 AM – 3:15 PM	Placentino 8:50 AM – 3:15 PM	No change

Phase III - Summer 2019 to August 2020 - Planning for Implementation

With the decision made, the effort shifts to planning for the new start times. Of primary importance is addressing the concerns expressed by some Miller parents regarding the impact this change would have on their need for before- and/or after-school care for their Miller students and the concerns expressed by some Miller parents that this change would require their children to wait for the bus before sun up during the winter months. The Superintendent and Director of Holliston’s Extended Day program will develop a survey to administer to all Miller and Placentino parents in September 2019 to determine the level of community need in this area. Equipped with this information, the Superintendent will work with our Extended Day program and private providers to meet any increased demand caused by this change. At the High School and Middle School, administrators and teachers will also work to minimize the impact of the new start times on the after-school extra-curricular and athletic programs.

Update: December 2019

At their December 12th meeting, the Holliston School Committee unanimously voted (with one member absent) to reaffirm and move forward with the plan they previously approved in May 2019, to adjust the school hours for the Holliston Public Schools as follows:

HHS: 8:10 AM – 2:43 PM
RAMS: 8:10 AM – 2:33 PM
Miller: 7:30 AM – 1:53 PM
Placentino: 8:50 AM – 3:15 PM

Originally approved in May, these revised school hours generated concerns among some parents in the community. In response, the School Committee engaged with these concerned parents and held a public forum that outlined the science behind the changes and offered people the opportunity to ask the Committee and Superintendent Jackson questions about the change. An open debate also took place at October Town Meeting.

Following these events as well as numerous meetings that individual Committee members held with concerned parents, the Committee reviewed a set of 10 proposed alternative start times scenarios proposed by this group of concerned parents. At their November meeting, the School Committee publicly reviewed each proposed scenario and concluded that eight of the ten proposed scenarios were untenable and removed those proposals from further consideration. The Committee then directed the administration to review the remaining two scenarios and report back to the Committee on their impact and viability.

At their December 12th meeting, the Committee reviewed the comprehensive analysis prepared by the administrative team and agreed with their conclusion that the drawbacks associated with either scenario were significant, making both remaining alternative solutions unviable. Following that discussion, the Committee unanimously voted to reaffirm their originally voted plan.

With this decision reaffirmed, parents and staff are strongly urged to begin planning for the impact that these changes could have on your individual family routines. At the same time, Holliston administrators will begin finalizing the detailed plans needed to implement these new school hours. In addition, the School Committee and Superintendent will discuss the process we will use to collect the impact of these changes and how we will use that data to see if refinements of this plan are needed in future years.

In addition to planning already under way at each school, the administration has already reported that they have a plan to open up a number of spots in our Extended Day program next school year to meet the anticipated demand for additional before and after-school care Holliston Extended Day is also planning to offer an 80-minute “gap” program to cover the time between the dismissal of Placentino students and Miller students, so that siblings might be picked up together. The Holliston Extended Day program will formally announce the availability of their options later this winter and share sign-up information. Further, the Committee reached out to the “Y” in Hopkinton regarding availability in their program for after-school care and that effort is showing promise. Interested parents should contact the YMCA directly if they wish to learn more about their after-school programs. Finally, the School Committee has authorized a transportation audit to see if we can find ways to make our bus system more efficient and/or convenient. The administration will share the results of this audit with the School Committee at one of their upcoming meetings as soon as the review has been completed.

Update – March 2020

Implementation Planning is proceeding well, with significant progress on a number of fronts:

Extended Opportunities for After-School Care – The Holliston Extended Day Program has finalized its planning for the 2020-2021 School Year, including a new Bridge Program for Miller students that will begin at 1:53PM and end at the end of the Placentino day, which remains unchanged from today’s ending time (3:15PM). Information on the Extended Day Program can be found here. In addition, the YMCA has surveyed the community and concluded that there is sufficient interest in providing additional after-school programming in Holliston. Information on their new programs can be found on their website.
Transportation Study – The external consultant has begun his review of our bus transportation system, looking for efficiencies that, if the improvements are substantial enough, could result in small adjustments to the times when Miller bus routes would begin. We expect a report from the consultant to be available in mid-April, in time to incorporate any recommendations into the final planning of the bus routes for the Fall of 2020.
Impact Study – At the direction of the School Committee, the Superintendent will be conducting a quantitative study of several wellness and education-related factors to help the Committee assess the impact of the change in school start times. The factors that will be reviewed are: anxiety, depression, sleep habits, homework habits and student attendance/tardies. Data will be collected either directly from students or from parents through one or more surveys. Baseline data will be collected before this April vacation and post-implementation data will be collected during the same week in 2021. Information on the specifics of the surveys can be found here. All parents will be notified prior to the administration of the survey and will be given the option to exclude their child from the survey process.

Critical Race Theory & Educational Equity

Special Election/Override Information

About Us

School Committee members are Holliston residents elected to three-year terms. All Massachusetts School Committees have three main purviews:

Hire and evaluate the superintendent;
Prepare and approve school budgets, which are subject to final approval by the town;
Create and amend policies Our agendas, meeting minutes, and policies are available in the navigation menu to the left.

Feel free to contact any committee member with questions or comments.

School Committee Members

Sarah Fitzgerald

Titles: School Committee Chair (2026)

Email:

Dawn Neborsky

Titles: School Committee Vice Chair (2028)

Email:

Daniel Alfred

Titles: School Committee Member (2026)

Email:

Hilary Bresnahan

Titles: School Committee Member (2027)

Email:

Tracy Floeckher

Titles: School Committee Member (2028)

Email:

Francis Ogura

Titles: School Committee Member (2027)

Email:

Joseph Paru

Titles: School Committee Member (2027)

Email:

January 9, 2026

Dear Holliston Families, Staff, Students, and Community Members,

The Holliston School Committee is incredibly excited to share a historic milestone for our town: Holliston has officially been invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Eligibility Period for Holliston High School.

Our district has submitted multiple Statements of Interest (SOIs), with the consistent goal of investing in a 21st century facility to enhance educational offerings to our students. While previous applications were not selected, every attempt strengthened our case, sharpened our data, and deepened our community’s commitment to providing students with a facility that matches the excellence of our educational programming. It also added a year to the age of the building.

Being invited into the MSBA process is not just a procedural step—it is an affirmation of the needs of our district and the vision our community holds for its future.

A new Holliston High School will:

Address long-standing facility challenges impacting learning, safety, and accessibility
Support growing academic innovation, including STEAM, inclusion, and hands-on learning
Create a flexible, future-ready school for generations of students
Strengthen Holliston’s long-term appeal and economic vitality

Entering the MSBA process begins a structured and collaborative multi-year timeline. The immediate next steps include:

Formation of a School Building Committee
Statutorily, the Select Board is in charge of the creation of the Committee. We will be asking them to initiate the process of forming the School Building Committee at their December 22nd meeting and look forward to partnering with them throughout this process. We thank the Select Board for their support throughout this process.

MSBA Eligibility Requirements
Over the coming months, we will complete required steps including educational visioning, enrollment projections, facility audits, and confirmation of community support. The biggest component of this will likely be a request for funding for a feasibility study at the May, 2026 Annual Town Meeting.

Ongoing Community Engagement
We will continue to share regular updates and offer opportunities for public input throughout the process.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported this effort—families, educators, students, town officials, alumni, and community partners. Your advocacy has brought us to this turning point.

There will be additional information provided following the Select Board meeting on December 22nd.

With gratitude and enthusiasm,
Holliston School Committee

It is the policy of the Holliston Public Schools not to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, color, homelessness, sexual orientation, age or disability in its educational programs, services, activities, or employment practices.

Dear Community Members:

Last spring, the Holliston School Committee voted to establish a Math Leveling Advisory Group charged with developing a recommendation for middle school mathematics pathways. Between June and November, the group—comprising school leaders (Karen Manning and Ron Taylor), Holliston teachers (Ashley Bouchard, Anne Connoni, Laurie Kizik, Carla Krause, and Shannon Mulkerrin), School Committee members (Hilary Bresnahan and Sarah Fitzgerald), and parents and community representatives (Amanda Bigelow, Kathi Chartier, and Chris Stanek)—met regularly to conduct its work.

After reviewing district and state mathematics assessment trends, the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, guidance from DESE regarding middle- to high-school math pathways, program models from other districts, the Equity Audit, and research and recommendations from prior Holliston math study groups, the Math Advisory Group reached a conclusion. Members voted overwhelmingly to support differentiated mathematics pathways beginning in grade 7, including an option for students to take full Algebra I in grade 8. Moving forward, the School Administration will be developing further details and the full implementation plan.

Representatives from the Math Leveling Advisory Group will present this recommendation at the next School Committee meeting on December 11 at 7:00 p.m. We invite the community to tune in to learn more about the group’s work and its recommendation.

Warm Regards,

Sarah Fitzgerald
Holliston School Committee Chair

Holliston Families, Community Members, HPS Staff, and Students —

As part of the process outlined in our previous update on the Superintendent Search, we are pleased to announce three community forums where we invite everyone to share their feedback and perspectives. Your input is essential in helping us find the ideal match for Holliston’s next superintendent.

We are offering both in-person and virtual opportunities to participate:

Wednesday, November 5 at 9:00 AM — Upper Town Hall
Wednesday, November 5 at 12:30 PM —The Center, 150 Goulding St.
Thursday, November 6 at 7:00 PM — Virtual via Zoom (link is below)

During these sessions, representatives from HYA Associates, the executive search firm supporting our process, will facilitate open discussions to gather community input on the qualities, experiences, and priorities most important for our next superintendent. Feedback from these forums will directly inform the development of the leadership profile and guide the search process.

We encourage all members of our community to attend and make your voice heard as part of this important process.

Thank you for your continued engagement and support.

— The Holliston School Committee

School Committee is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: HYA Community Forum
Time: Nov 6, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://holliston-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/84040457043?pwd=WUbwpJ0b1q98cNdCl5DTavRQwU4eSu.1

Meeting ID: 840 4045 7043
Passcode: 747744

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Holliston Public Schools

Dear Holliston Families and Community Members:

October Town Meeting is coming up on Monday, October 20th at 7:00PM in the Holliston High School Auditorium. The Holliston Public Schools have several very important requests that will be considered.

We expect debate on some of our requests. Please come and continue to support our Schools as we work towards maintaining our buildings and equipment. Babysitting will be available free of charge. Our requests include capital items (including funding to refurbish the Placentino/Miller roof) and approval to lease solar panels at RAMS and Placentino. Additionally, we are supporting the Parks and Recreation request, through CPC funds, for a field project on Flagg Field. Funding the Placentino/Miller roof project now is critical to ensuring flexibility and certainty of funding as we work through the project regardless of whether we receive state funding or not.

Below is the summary of our capital requests (the nitty gritty details of all items, including the roof, can be found further below):

These are all important requests that will allow us to catch up on maintenance that has been long deferred as well as continue to provide the technology used by our students every day and have become critical to the delivery of curriculum.

See you at Town Meeting!

Sincerely,

The Holliston School Committee

Finance Committee Report

https://www.townofholliston.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif706/f/uploads/3._finance_committee_report_for_october_tm_2025.pdf

The Nitty Gritty Details:

Article #9 - Capital Requests: The Holliston School Committee has made a significant capital request this fall with a combination of routine items (programmatic replacement of Chromebooks and other IT devices) and important facility maintenance requests. Our requests have been supported by the Finance Committee (with a recommendation to make a recommendation at Town Meeting regarding $1.35 million for the Placentino/Miller Roof). We believe this is a critical request to ensure that our schools and classrooms remain learning environments in which your children can thrive. We expect this request to be debated and ask that you come to Town meeting to support the request.

Additional Placentino/Miller roof information: Earlier this year, with the Town’s support, we completed the refurbishment of the RAMS roof. However, our students and staff are still dealing with dripping ceilings and other water at Miller and Placentino. Repairing this roof is not a want but a critical need. At the same time, we recognize that there needs to be money available to fund the request. We have applied for a Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) roof grant to help pay for a portion of the refurbishment of the Miller/Placentino roof. The Finance Committee prudently delayed a recommendation as we wait for more information about final certified “Free Cash” which will help determine if the Town has enough money and as we hopefully will have a better sense of whether we will receive the MSBA grant this year and if so, how much it will be for. This is a very important request to come to Town Meeting to support.

Article #13 - Flagg Field Project: The HSC has voted to support the project brought forth by the Parks Commission which has received CPC funding. Our “Flagg Road” capital request will partially support this project. Coordinating both projects to be completed at the same time will ensure a more seamless product and avoids potential additional costs if they were done at different times.

Article #14 - Solar Lease Request: A recently passed federal funding bill gutted tax credits for renewable energy projects. However, it did allow for a sunsetting of existing credits. The Town’s Sustainability Coordinator and our solar consultant have partnered with a contractor that is able to “safe harbor” projects that commence before the end of 2025 to allow for those projects to still receive these credits. The HSC looked at both purchase and lease options and ultimately decided that while buying the panels had a higher net present value (NPV), it was not so much higher than the leasing option that it fully offset the increased operational complexities of owning. Additionally, it is unlikely that the Town currently has the funds to support the purchase option at this time. The cost of the lease agreement will be $0 (though there could be an interconnection fee to be determined and funded at a later date). The annual savings will be relatively modest, likely ~$70k per year but “savings” is also variable as it relies on the difference in the fixed price we will pay to the solar array owner and the assumed future price of electricity.

Vision Statement: A New Path Forward

Centering Equity, Excellence, and Student Success in Mathematics

The Math Leveling Subcommittee invites educators, families, and community members to join a new chapter in our district’s mathematics work, one grounded in participation, collaboration, and a mutual commitment to improving the learning trajectory for all our students. This is not just a committee. It is a commitment to ensuring all students are seen, supported, and allowed to thrive.

We know past processes have left some unheard voices and consequences unaddressed. That’s why this effort will be different. Guided by data, lived experiences, and research-based practices, we will:

Foster a safe space for honest, reflective, and respectful dialogue
Examine our current structures and student pathways with clarity and curiosity
Design recommendations that are inclusive, equitable, and aligned with student growth
Consider both the intended and unintended impact of any shift in programming
Build support, not just strategies that can be sustained across schools and classrooms
Lead meetings through structured processes, shared norms, and evidence-based protocols that ensure every voice is heard, not diminished.
Establish clear standards for the tools, research, and data we utilize to guide our work.

Together, we have an opportunity to do more than redesign math pathways; we can strengthen the foundation of educational equity and academic integrity in our schools.

This group is being formed to examine current and future approaches to middle school and high school mathematics pathways in our district — with a focus on equity, rigor, and readiness for advanced math opportunities.

We know that people in our district hold a wide range of beliefs about how to best support students in math, including differing views on the role of leveling in grades 7 and 8. Our goal is to bring together a committee that reflects diverse perspectives and is committed to thoughtful, respectful collaboration.

Please complete the attached google form if you wish to be considered for this committee.

Google Form - Math Committee

Sincerely,

Hillary Bresnahan, Holliston School Committee

Sarah Fitzgerlad, Holliston School Committee

Karen Manning, RAMS Principal

Ron Taylor, HHS Assistant Principal

Jariel Vergne, Director of Social Emotional Learning and Equity

Joint Statement from the Holliston School Committee and Holliston Federation of Teachers on the ratification of a new Holliston High School Bell Schedule for the 2026-27 school year.

Dear Holliston Public Schools Community,

The Holliston Federation of Teachers (HFT) and Holliston School Committee (HSC) recently reached agreement on a change to the Holliston High School schedule for implementation in the 2026-2027 school year. Over the course of the past six months, representatives of the HFT worked closely with members of HPS administration through the High School Schedule Subcommittee to explore schedule alternatives. An agreement was ultimately reached between the HFT and the HSC on a 7 Drop 2 schedule for 2026-2027. The 7 drop 2 schedule provides students with year-long instruction in math, world language, band, and social studies; and reduces daily class time to 64 minutes.

Changing a schedule that has been in place for 25 years is a complicated and challenging task. We want to reassure the community that with the new schedule now agreed to for the 2026-2027 school year, and the current schedule remaining in place for next year, the HSC, HPS administration, and HFT are committed to working together to ensure a smooth transition over the next year including providing support to our valuable staff and students as they adjust to this new schedule and other curriculum changes. Many discussions and decisions are still ahead, but we are confident that we can navigate them together effectively. More information will be shared with teachers, students and parents as the implementation moves forward. The HSC, HPS administration and HFT are committed to working together in the best interests of our students, which has always been at the forefront of all of our minds throughout this entire process.

Sincerely,

Holliston School Committee & Holliston Federation of Teachers