Superintendent's Update

March 10, 2025

Dear Shrewsbury Families, Colleagues, & Community Members,

As the weather gets warmer, our schools are incredibly busy providing our students with an excellent academic program along with a wide variety of student supports and co-curricular activities – all to ensure that we are meeting our strategic commitments to educational excellence and the enhanced well-being of all.  Recently, we reported on improvements in student literacy across our elementary and middle schools, while outside of the classroom, our students have earned honors in academic and athletic competitions and demonstrated creativity through the visual and performing arts.  Some examples include the SHS Mock Trial (top 14 teams in the state), DECA business competition club earning national recognition along with 26 SHS students qualifying for nationals, multiple teams and individuals qualifying for post-season in sports (including a New England champion), an excellent performance of Aladdin by Sherwood students, and the outstanding pieces in this winter's virtual art exhibition.  Our students, with the help of our educators and support staff, are thriving in many ways!

In the coming week, look for a new edition of the Shrewsbury School Journal that will highlight a variety of district programs, and consider attending the annual SHS Musical – this year it is Chicago: Teen Edition. The show will be presented at Shrewsbury High School this Thursday, March 13, Friday, March 14, and Saturday, March 15 at 7:00pm at SHS. Tickets can be purchased at the door prior to each performance ($15 adults and $10 students/senior citizens] Payment in the form of cash or check (payable to Town of Shrewsbury).  It is going to be an excellent production, as always!

Please read on for information regarding our approach to religious accommodations for students; public hearings on next year's budget and on school choice: and next year's proposed school calendar.

Religious accommodations for students: During this season when many are observing Ramadan or Lent, please be reminded that our schools will work with students and their families to provide reasonable accommodations for students' religious obligations.  Families should feel free to reach out to their child's teachers if a student needs to be absent or cannot complete homework due to religious reasons, and per our district's policy and state law they will be provided with an opportunity to make up missed work.   

Public hearings this Wednesday evening on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and School Choice:  At their meeting this Wednesday evening, the School Committee invites public comment on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget plan that I presented in February.  Fortunately, unlike many Massachusetts communities, we have a stable fiscal situation for the coming school year, largely due to Shrewsbury voters' passage of the operational override in 2021.  Comments on whether to open up any new seats for inter-district school choice will also be heard (my recommendation is not to open any seats due to chronic overcrowding at the high school level).  The meeting is at 7pm in the Select Board Meeting Room at Town Hall (100 Maple Ave.).

Proposed calendar for the 2025-2026 School Year:  On Wednesday evening, the School Committee will vote on the proposed calendar for next school year, which can be found here (you can view my presentation of the information here). If you have feedback in advance of their vote, you can contact the School Committee at schoolcommittee@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us. 

Thank you for all that you do to make our schools successful in serving our community's young people!

Respectfully,

Joe Sawyer
Superintendent of Schools