New Administrators
Superintendent Jill Geiser announced that Brittany King is the new assistant principal at Belmont High School. King has worked in the high school as a guidance counselor for the past 12 years.
“I’m really excited to step into this new role this year,” King said. “…I’ve been working in Belmont for 12 years, and I think really within my first couple of years, I really felt at home in this community. The students are awesome. The families are amazing.”
King holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire and a master’s degree from Suffolk University.
PSAT Fee Increase
The committee voted to increase Preliminary SAT (PSAT) fees this fall to $42.
The fee was previously $40, Assistant Superintendent Lucia Sullivan said. Around 230 high school juniors are expected to take the test on Oct. 17, she added. The increase is because the district is absorbing the cost of an online transaction fee. This is the first year parents and students can pay for the test digitally.
“I know for anybody who may have done it in the past, if your kid signs up, they’re able to do it if they bring a check to the guidance office. If they don’t do that, then they don’t do the PSAT. So, this will be a more systematized opportunity for kids,” Sullivan said.
The PSAT is often taken to help prepare students for the SAT and also makes students eligible to be named a National Merit Scholar.
Protect Act Adoption
The committee voted to approve the PROTECT Act policy for the district, which helps establish guidelines to how the schools should interact with federal immigration enforcement.
The PROTECT Act, which limits how state and local governments can assist federal immigration authorities, was signed into law last month by Gov. Maura Healey. As part of the law, school districts must adopt policies that adhere to the act.
The policy approved by the school committee and the district’s procedures are “consistent with what we already do,” said Geiser.
“If any civil law enforcement comes into a school, they still require a judicial warrant. That’s always been the case for having access to any students or information,” she said.
Foundation for Belmont Education Donation
The Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE) donated $15,000 to support the district’s Bridges to Equity conference being held in November.
“FBE’s investment strengthens our ability to provide high-quality professional development that
deepens instructional practice and supports educators in strengthening equitable, culturally
responsive teaching across content areas,” Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Well-Being Director Darnell Thigpen Williams wrote in a memo to the FBE.
The conference will be “a day of connection, reflection, learning, and action,” said School Committee Chair Meghan Moriarty. It will be held Nov. 7 at Belmont High School.