Next Steps for the Pollard Middle School Project

Proposed Pollard Middle School Site Plan

Work on the Pollard Middle School project continues to move forward!

Over the last year, and under the direction of the School Building Committee (SBC) and Permanent Public Building Committee (PPBC), School Committee and other town boards, significant work has been done by the Pollard design team to prepare a schematic design to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) this summer.  If the MSBA approves the proposed design, the project is anticipated to receive a reimbursement of between 20% and 23% of the total project cost. A debt exclusion would still be necessary to secure the remaining funds, a measure that would be presented to Needham residents for a vote this coming fall.

(To learn more about the project, please visit the project website: Pollard Project Updates)

What's coming in the next month?

• Revised estimates for the project will be shared in June. Prior estimates have put the projected cost around $336 million.

• The School Committee and School Building Committee (SBC) will vote to approve a schematic design for the project.

• The design will be submitted to the MSBA for their review and approval.

The submission to the MSBA follows months of study and feedback to refine and finalize the building design, informed by feedback from educators, town leaders, and community members. In addition, traffic studies, tree assessments, zoning changes, and planning with public safety officials and the project's contractor, Bond Construction, have taken place.   As part of the effort to meet the educational program while considering the impact on taxpayers, reductions in the building's spaces, amenities, and square footage have been carefully considered, and the site plans have been developed to ensure the 

project fits nicely into the neighborhood.

Following the June submission, and assuming no MSBA directed changes, the project will be brought before the community in the fall as submitted.

What's happening over the summer and into the fall?

• Additional public meetings will take place at Pollard (and via Zoom) on June 30, July 22, and August 26 to keep the neighborhood and wider community updated on progress. Information about total cost and the impact on taxpayers will also be shared.

• In July the Needham Select Board will discuss and vote language for a debt exclusion question to be placed on the November 2026 ballot.

• Upon MSBA approval of the schematic design in August 2026, the Town of Needham and the MSBA will enter into a Project Funding Agreement that establishes the project cost and the amount of reimbursement to be provided by the MSBA.

• In October a Special Town Meeting will convene to consider the project and vote on whether or not to approve it. In November, Needham voters will have the opportunity to vote on a debt exclusion ballot question for the Pollard project.

Where can I learn more?

To receive project updates by email and learn more about the plan for a new Pollard that brings 6th, 7th and 8th grade students under one roof while meeting today's educational needs and providing flexibility for the future, please visit the Pollard website:  Pollard Project Updates. 

Many Faiths: One Community

The level of engagement, pride, and sense of belonging among students in the Needham Public Schools was highlighted recently when four student-led high school groups shared with the School Committee how their faith-based clubs are a way to express their religious identity, faith, and values. Student representatives from the Hindu Student Union (HSU), Jewish Student Union (JSU), Muslim Student Union (MSU) and Christian Student Union (CSU) provided the School Committee with information and context about their faith-based clubs and activities as well as how their religious and spiritual values are shared within the high school community for all students to participate in and understand.

Following are written excerpts from their presentation about the clubs:

• Jewish Student Union: Our club is incredibly impactful to the Jewish community among Needham, where we have consistently held meetings with over 30 Jewish students at the high school. In our biweekly meetings, we present slideshows on important current and historical events, and holidays that relate to Judaism. Additionally, we have interactive gatherings including art projects and food that relate to specific events on the Hebrew calendar. We also have had various meaningful discussions on the growing amount of antisemitism here in the US and globally. We had our second annual October 7th meeting, this year with a special guest, Rabbi Elyse Pincus Abrahams of Temple Beth Shalom in Needham. Students in our club had the opportunity to ask Rabbi Elyse about how to better navigate difficult conversations in the Middle East and how to approach each conversation with curiosity instead of animosity… We believe in the importance of a welcoming community, creating a space for all Jewish students to feel safe. (Excerpted from the remarks of JSU representatives Lily Fogelman and Sam Cornell.)

• Muslim Student Union: The MSU is a student-led club at Needham High School which aims to provide Muslim students with a sense of community and belonging… In Western societies, minority groups such as Muslims may feel isolated, making it one of MSU's main priorities to create an environment where students have a sense of connection, support, and representation. In addition to prioritizing community, MSU reinforces Muslim cultural practices and traditions while encouraging thoughtful discussions about modern-day challenges that Muslims globally face… Through MSU's capabilities, students have access to a "prayer pass", one that excuses Muslim students from their fourth period to go to the teachers lounge and pray the Dhuhr prayer... The MSU is committed to promoting unity, compassion, and understanding while ensuring that Muslim students at Needham High School feel supported and valued. (Excerpted from the remarks of MSU representative, Jana Ghbeis.)

• Christian Student Union The Christian Student Union is a club focused on providing a community for people who are interested in exploring Christianity or want to learn more about the subject… Currently, we are running a Cradles to Crayons clothing drive in partnership with Project 351 and are eagerly partnering with Avenue Church on various events. Our goal is to provide a safe space for people to learn and explore their faith. At each meeting, we normally complete a get to know each other activity, as well as a small lesson where we dive into an aspect of Christianity, and close with a prayer. Currently, we are learning about the different sections of Christianity and how they are similar or different. It is a great way to get to know people in the community and bond with people who have similar interests! (Excerpted from the remarks of CSU representative, Brianna Sickmier.)

• Hindu Student Union: HSU at Needham High School is a student-led organization that creates a welcoming space for students to learn about, celebrate, and share Hindu culture, traditions, and values while building community with one another. We meet regularly to discuss holidays, cultural practices, and the historical and philosophical foundations of Hinduism, while also providing a supportive environment for students of all backgrounds who are interested in learning more. Members especially enjoy the sense of community and the opportunity to connect with others who share similar traditions or are curious to learn more. Our club focuses on promoting inclusivity, cultural awareness, and respect through open conversations, activities, and collaborative events. Throughout the year, we celebrate major festivals such as Diwali and Holi within our club, organize educational presentations, and plan cultural and service-oriented events that bring students together. HSU continues to grow as a space where students feel represented, valued, and proud of their heritage. (Excerpted from the written remarks of HSU representatives, Nandini Niranjan and Isha Nair.)

At a time when religious and ethnic differences can often drive wedges between people, I am proud of the young people of Needham who choose to build connections and community instead!

Note:  Many thanks to NHS junior and School Committee student representative Jack Arvedon for pulling this presentation of the faith groups together!

Keeping Kids Safe

A year ago the district experienced an unprecedented situation with the arrests of three staff members  affiliated  with the Needham Public Schools. Over the course of three months in the spring, two teachers and one contracted employee for our before/after school child care program were arrested in three separate incidents for the possession and/or distribution of child sexual abuse materials (i.e., child pornography).  Working with state and local police during the ensuing investigations, we learned that no Needham students were involved or victimized by the horrific behavior of these three trusted staff members. The employees were quickly dismissed from their roles and their cases are currently being adjudicated in the courts.

Staff, families, and students were understandably shocked by the arrests and had many questions:  “Why didn’t you know about this illegal behavior?”... “How do you ensure that potential employees are not predators?”... “Is my child safe at school and in the community?”... “How can I help my child trust adults when things like this happen?” Even though we believed that it would have been impossible to know what these former employees were doing in their private lives, the questions were fair and required the district to reflect deeply on our practices, policies, and procedures.

Since last spring we have undertaken the following activities to ensure our students are safe, our employment practices sound, and policies and procedures are rigorously implemented:

• Partnership with ICAC The Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is dedicated to investigating, prosecuting and working with local communities to combat online child exploitation and the use of child sexual abuse materials.  We have developed a positive working relationship with ICAC and recently invited ICAC officials to meet with private and public school leaders in Needham to learn about their work and to help us prevent online child exploitation.  The Town of Needham Police Department counts itself as a member of the ICAC network.

• Human Resource Assessment The district contracted with the UMASS Collins Center to review, analyze, and understand our practices and procedures related to recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of new employees to assess our compliance with the law around, for example, conducting Criminal Offender Records Information (CORI) and Sexual Offender Records Information (SORI) checks, among other responsibilities, to ensure student and staff safety and wellbeing. (Access the report here.) The assessment showed that the district’s compliance practices are extremely strong and that there was no reasonable way to determine whether or not any one of these three individuals was engaged in this illegal and abhorrent behavior. The assessment also gave us an opportunity to review other human resource programs and procedures to strengthen the overall experience for a professional and dedicated staff.

• Child Protection Units This year we are introducing Child Protection Units in grades K-5 to enable children to understand ways to stay safe; encourage them to speak to trusted adults when they are concerned about their bodily autonomy or personal safety; and understand safe and unsafe touches. This developmentally appropriate elementary level curriculum is designed to involve parents and empower children by teaching them how to seek assistance if necessary.

• Mandated Training Each year our staff is required to complete a training to remind them about rules guiding student privacy, special education, and other compliance issues.  This year we updated the training with a new interactive platform and ramped up additional modules to include additional responsibilities, including the role of staff in reporting concerning behavior in school.

• Supervision Practices The district has long been committed to supporting and supervising our teachers once they have been hired. We provide mentors for new teachers, and we have adopted state guidance and rubrics that provide a foundation for our evaluation procedures for teachers. Building administrators also receive support and training to assist them with their supervisory responsibilities. Additionally, we are one of a handful of districts that has a rigorous protocol for the review of those teachers who are in their first three years of service.  Professional status is granted to an educator in the Needham Public Schools after a thorough and detailed conversation and collaboration which involves the principals, district administrators, and the superintendent who meet annually to review each educator's growth and identify areas for improvement. Only after a thorough review and discussion of the supervisors’ notes and observations is a teacher awarded professional status.

These activities, procedures, and programs alone can’t guarantee that illegal and inappropriate behavior will not occur in the Needham Public Schools; there is simply no way to prevent that. However, rigorous hiring and vetting procedures coupled with strong staff supervision and thoughtful student programming will assist us to continue to keep our students safe - and focused on their wellbeing, learning and growth. 

Why are there so many early release days?

 

Sometimes I am asked about why we need the Wednesday half days for professional learning.

Parents ask questions like:

• Why does the district disrupt my schedule on certain Wednesdays requiring me to figure out what to do with my child?

• When I was in school I never had half days for my teachers to work on PD. Why do they need it now?

• What actually happens on those half days that can’t happen at another time so my student can stay in school and I won’t need to worry about childcare?

• Can’t you do all of the professional development in the summer before school starts?

• What about all the kids who are roaming around in the center of Town causing problems on half days?

All these questions are fair to ask!  

We use the early release schedule to provide time for all teachers, instructional aides and administrators to get together to work on developing curriculum, discuss student assessments, and attend to their professional learning. Given that teachers are typically scheduled with students the entire school day, there is then no other time for them to receive training, new updates, revise curriculum, and discuss and plan for district initiatives.  For example, we are in the middle of a three year effort to identify a new literacy curriculum at the elementary level. Teachers and administrators need time to sit down together to assess the pilot, discuss options, and review student assessments and work.  It simply is not possible to do this during the school day when children are present. Teachers do have meetings and professional learning time and hours after the students have left for the school day, but it's not possible to conduct all of their work after 2:30 or 3:00 p.m.

Many teachers are working after hours to tackle school responsibilities (e.g., planning tomorrow’s lesson, coaching, running a club activity) and we have a significant number who participate in training over the summer.  But we still need the additional time to address the needs of our staff so they, in turn, can be more responsive to the needs of our students.  Teaching and learning has only gotten more complicated than it was, for example, when I was a teacher.  When I taught in the 1980s it was mostly a solitary experience. I was never expected to work or collaborate with other teachers; I was just given a text book and told to do my best.  Federal and state mandates, which I did not have to contend with as a teacher, are now more pronounced and intrusive, requiring even more attention to collaborative work, planning and discussion among educators. Over time we have recognized the need, and the power, of teachers working together to improve learning.  I'd like to think that the way we structure early release days and professional work and learning for our staff, while imperfect, is one of the reasons our district has been recognized for significant growth and success in the last few years.

I know the disruption is sometimes challenging for parents who are struggling to plan their work week, etc.  One of the things we have done in recent years is to reduce the total number of early release days, especially at the middle school level, as a response to families and childcare issues.  We are constantly considering new and alternative ways to work (e.g., we use some virtual learning and meeting time) to ensure students receive the education they deserve, and we try to avoid disrupting the schedule as much as possible. We also have been working with business and shop owners to address some of their concerns about student behavior in their stores. The middle school principals are very clear with students about what is expected, and I hope parents are also letting their children understand their expectations for respectful and appropriate behavior. For sure, it is important for young adolescents to have some independence and demonstrate good decision making when they are away from their parents and teachers.

Each new calendar year presents challenges with religious holidays, late (or early Labor Days), Federal elections, snow days, etc.  I try to ensure we start before Labor Day but end by mid June with as few disruptions as possible.  We also do not want to stack early release days back to back, and we try to have as many full, five day weeks as we can.  This January (2026) we  faced the challenge of needing two early release days but recognizing we would bump up against February and the February break.  Ultimately, we decided to schedule just one early release day in February to help balance things out.  Believe me, there was much discussion about the January 2026 schedule among staff, parent leaders, and School Committee members before we decided on the calendar plan.  For sure:  The academic calendar is imperfect at best and in my 20 years of experience as Needham's superintendent has never satisfied all constituents.

Nonetheless, we will keep trying to ensure we can deliver a quality program to our students - one they deserve and parents expect - while also attending to the increasing and varied responsibilities our educators have.