Published in the June 20, 2018 edition

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — The executive team that will assist new School Superintendent Doug Lyons in running the Wakefield Public Schools was solidified last week when the School Committee approved the contracts for two key members of the administrative team.

The contract of School Business Adminstrator Michael Pfifferling was renewed for another four years and Special Education Director Lyn O’Neill’s contract was extended for another three years. Lyons was signed to a five-year agreement earlier this spring.

School Superintendent Dr Kim Smith, who is retiring as of June 30, credited Pfifferling with “developing a transparent, highly efficient budget process and providing exemplary management skills to Central Office.” Pfifferling has been in the position for six years.

The proposed contract is a 4-year term with an FY 2019 salary of $134,000. Smith said that the salary was arrived at in part by looking at salaries for comparable positions in other school systems and districts, plus a 2 percent increase for FY 2019.

O’Neill has beed Director of Special Education for five years, Dr. Smith said, “transforming inclusionary practices and building professional development to activate Universal Design for learning systems in the WPS.” The proposed contract is a three-year term with an FY 2019 salary of $131,000.

It was explained that the lengths of the contracts for Lyons, Pfifferling and O’Neill were staggered in order to minimize the likelihood of having to replace multiple key administrators in the same year. The same approach will be applied when a new assistant superintendent is hired to replace Lyons, who will take over a Superintendent on July 1.

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The School Committee recognized a number of retiring teachers administrators and staff at their meeting last week.

They also recognized two local students who were winners in Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s Annual Poster and Writing Contest. Students were asked to use their creative skills to create a poster or write an essay, poem or story to show how people, plants and animals have benefitted from a clean Boston Harbor.

Jack Ellis, a second grader at the Greenwood School, took first place in the K-2 poster contest. Galvin Middle School fifth grader Dillon McCarthy won honorable mention in the Grade 3-5 Writing Contest.

The winners and their teachers were invited to an awards ceremony at the MWRA Deer Island Treatment Plant of May 25. Both Wakefield winners here honored at last week’s School Committee meeting and invited to talk about their entries.

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Dr. Smith and Pfifferling provided a report on kindergarten class size and enrollment. 

Smith noted that in each of the last three years, registration over-enrollment has occurred at one of the elementary school based on its design. In FY 2017, the over-enrolled school was Woodville, in FY 2018 it was the Dolbeare and in FY 2019, the Walton. In order to address the imbalance each of these years, the following plan was implemented: 

1. Identify “swing zones” at the outskirts of the over-enrolled school zone area. Streets in these areas are designated as two possible school zones. For example, for FY19, the swing zones on the outer boundaries of the Walton zone are designated “Walton/Dolbeare” and “Walton/Woodville”.

2. Identify incoming kindergarten families who already have (or previously had) children in the primary school zone (first school listed in the swing zone), understanding that they are already members of this school community. Prioritize these kindergarten students to register at the primary school. 

3. Identify families who are registering their first child in the Wakefield Public Schools. These are the students who may be registered at the secondary school zone (second school listed in the swing zone).

4. Remind families enrolled in the secondary school zone of the Transfer Request process. Those who submit requests are placed on a waiting list for their desired school; often seats open over the summer to accommodate these students. Notify families on the waiting list that School Committee class size policy for Grade 1 allows for additional students, so there is a second opportunity for Transfer Requests to be accepted in Grade 1 for the desired school the following year.

The plan notes that “all four elementary schools are excellent, high performing schools and a common curriculum and common experience at all schools is guaranteed.”

The administration recommended adjusting the zoning map to permanently add swing zones at the outskirts of each school zone area and follow above described protocols in the case of over-enrollment. This will help create more accurate expectations for families in advance of Kindergarten registration. These zones will be part of the online tool for parents to search their street address. For example, one street address may be identified as “Greenwood”, where another street address at the outskirts of the Greenwood area may be identified as “Greenwood/Woodville”. The information will be communicated to local realtors, so that they may also present accurate information to families as they purchase homes in Wakefield.

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In other business last week the School Committee:

• Heard an update on the School Nutrition Program from Food Sevices Director Kristin Morello.

• Accepted a gift of $ 2,500.00 from the Friends of WHS Softball to pay a stipend to the assistant varsity softball coach during the 2017-2018 spring season.