Weymouth School Committee Approves South Shore Stars Private School Application

WEYMOUTH — April 6, 2023 — Weymouth School Committee approves South Shore Stars private school for dyslexic students, ratifies $7.17 million in union contracts. The committee voted 5-0 with one abstention at its April 6 meeting to approve South Shore Stars' application under M.G.L. Chapter 76 to open a grades one-through-five school on Libby Industrial Park targeting students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences, with a planned enrollment of roughly 100 students and an Orton-Gillingham literacy foundation. Scituate parent and attorney Katie Whitelock testified that her daughter spends more than 15 hours per week commuting to Landmark School in Beverly, telling the committee the choice between a crushing commute and inadequate local services "simply shouldn't be one we're forced to make." The committee also unanimously ratified a four-year WEA Unit A contract at a total cost of $6.5 million, a three-year SEIU 888 maintenance workers contract at $270,000, and a three-year SEIU 888 custodians contract at $400,000 — the teacher deal the result of more than 13 months of negotiations including public standouts. Chair John Sullivan announced his resignation for family reasons, and the committee unanimously elevated Vice Chair Tracy Nardone as interim chair.