Balancing the School Calendar

The Needham School year continues to be a work in progress. The tweaking started early in the week, when Superintendent Dan Gutekanst approached the school committee on making changes to the upcoming school year. The reasoning behind it was to create a more even experience for those students attending in the hybrid model, keeping the two “cohorts” even. It was a story featured on our September 3rd newscast:




The situation was further complicated on September 4th, when the Superintendent reluctantly opted to delay the implementation of in-person education at the schools. The school year will still begin on September 14th, but the first two weeks will now be entirely in the form of remote schooling for the students. The announcement was shared on the Needham Public School’s website: www.needham.k12.ma.us.

With the beginning of classes just days away, and work to get the schools ready ongoing, the superintendent is keenly aware of the need to get information out to parents and staff alike. Gutekanst plans on releasing more information this week as progress is made. In the meanwhile, Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick shared with the Select Board at their September 8th meeting that the schools remain the town’s top priority at the moment, with efforts involving staff across municipal departments.