School Committee to Decide Grade Changes

The Seekonk School Committee plan to vote on grade changes for the 2026-2027 year at their September 22 meeting.

The need for additional space at the elementary level may precipitate moving fifth grade students to Hurley Middle School and eighth grade students at Hurley Middle School to Seekonk High School.

Another proposal would be to designate Aitken Elementary School for students in pre-kindergarten through Grade 2 and Martin Elementary School for students in Grades three through five.

Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell noted “listening sessions” for parents from the district’s four schools will be held in the days before the meeting.

“I want the public to know, as an administrative team, I truly believe all five school committee members are trying to do what’s right for your (children),” Kidwell said. “We are all collectively, trying to find a solution here and inaction is a difficult solution. As a community, we have to accept the solution. I don’t know what the outcome should be.”

At the September 2 meeting, member Kyle Juckett expressed his doubts regarding moving the fifth and eighth grades.

“The odds are we’re not going to be able to decrease those classroom sizes because we can’t hire teachers to fill those classrooms,” Juckett explained. “We’re currently in a budget situation where we can’t hire anyone because we don’t have the money to do it.”

Juckett complained to committee chairman Bob Gerardi about “rushing through a vote” on the proposed changes.

The school committee meeting scheduled for September 8 was rescheduled to the 2^nd, a fact which Juckett shared on social media.

Gerardi was upset at the perception of a “transparency issue” on the part of the committee and noted the meeting change was due to a “conflict.”

“We could’ve taken those votes (on the grade changes) in the summer as this has been an ongoing agenda item all summer for discussion,” Gerardi added. “I wanted us to take a vote before September to give parents and staff adequate time to plan. I don’t want to be in the same place next year when we’re talking about kindergarten again.”