Meeting Recap: Braintree School Committee Welcomes New Members, Discusses District Plans (09/15/2025)
The Braintree School Committee held its meeting on September 15, 2025, beginning on a solemn note with a moment of silence for a Hollis Elementary student who passed away. The agenda included welcoming new student representatives, approving trips and donations, hearing an update on the district’s master plan, and celebrating a lifetime achievement award for the committee’s own chairperson.
Welcome New Student Representatives
- [00:01:00] – Introduction: The committee welcomed its four student representatives for the year: returning seniors Ruby and Miriam, and new members Anna (junior) and Eli (senior). The new members cited the previous year’s budget challenges and their desire to advocate for students as their motivation for joining.
Superintendent’s Report & Staff Introductions
Communications and Commendations
- [00:05:59] – Early Literacy Grant: Braintree Public Schools was selected to participate in a DESE Early Literacy Initiative, sharing a $190,000 grant with Stonehill, Curry College, Randolph, and Milton to strengthen early writing skills.
- [00:07:08] – Lifetime Achievement Award: It was announced that School Committee Chairperson Lisa Fiske Heger is being awarded the 2025 MASC Lifetime Achievement Award for her 11 years of service to the committee and extensive community activism.
District Updates and Introductions
- [00:12:24] – Interim BHS Principal: Mr. Robert “Bob” Cooper was formally introduced as the interim principal of Braintree High School. Mr. Cooper shared his focus on communication and building school culture, highlighting a successful start to the year with family nights and his “We Are Braintree” slogan.
- [00:22:57] – New Superintendent Coach: Maureen Lacroix, a retired superintendent from Bedford, was introduced as Superintendent McDonald’s coach for the MASS New Superintendent Induction Program (NISP). She explained the program’s focus on data analysis, community engagement, and improving teaching and learning.
- [00:34:42] – Superintendent’s Entry Plan: Superintendent McDonald presented his official entry plan, which includes data analysis, stakeholder interviews, and a focus on community presence, guided by the theme “Be a Great Teammate.” He expects to deliver a report of his findings in late winter.
School and Community Projects
Liberty School Playground Project
- [00:42:39] – Presentation: The Liberty School Recreation Committee, made up of parents and teachers, presented their impressive, privately-funded project to revitalize the school’s outdoor spaces. After fundraising for new basketball hoops and painting games on the blacktop, their next goals are to pave a walking path and eventually install a turf field and pavilion.
- [00:52:17] – Outcome: The School Committee enthusiastically and unanimously **approved** the project to move forward.
Master Plan Update
- [00:52:48] – Report: Mayor Erin Joyce provided an update on the three-phase district master plan. Phase 1 (program and space efficiencies) and Phase 2 (demographic study) are nearly complete, with reports expected at the October 6th meeting. For Phase 3 (facility planning and visioning), a consulting team has been selected from six bids, and the comprehensive community engagement process is set to begin soon.
Student Representative Reports
- [01:04:19] – Report from BHS: The student representatives reported a great start to the school year with fall sports and clubs underway. However, they raised significant concerns about the **condition of student bathrooms** (with only one working women’s bathroom on the second floor) and the detrimental effect of **large class sizes**, with some classes having over 60 students and many having over 30, which limits individual student-teacher connection.
- [01:09:47] – Committee Response: The administration confirmed they are aware of the bathroom issue, which is caused by a clogged drain affecting multiple floors, and that facilities is working to resolve it outside of school hours.
Committee Business
- [01:11:10] – Policy Update: The committee approved adding new MASC-recommended handbook language regarding accommodations for curriculum materials. Chairperson Heger was also elected as the delegate for the upcoming MASC conference.
- [02:29:00] – Executive Session Approvals: After returning from executive session, the committee unanimously approved memorandums of agreement with the Teamsters Local Union #122 (for bus drivers and transportation monitors) and the Braintree Cafeteria Workers Association.
