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Date: 1/5/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW – East Longmeadow Public Schools (ELPS) Superintendent Gordon Smith spoke to Reminder Publishing about what the next year of education will bring.
“A lot of great things are happening in the district,” he said.
Social-emotional development
“The thing we always want to keep our focus on is bringing all our students back fully from the effects of the [coronavirus] pandemic,” Smith said. “Academic learning took a huge hit nationally, but it’s also that social-emotional development.” As an example, Smith noted that the district’s second graders ate in the cafeteria for the first time this fall. They had to learn how to behave and the social rules that older students learned in kindergarten. He expects more development in this area in the coming year.
“We’ve done a lot of professional development over the last few years to understand the movement behind social-emotional learning in a way that is integrated,” Smith said. Daily morning meetings at the elementary level provide opportunities to check in with students, teach routines and shift their focus to school and learning, he explained. Embedding those lessons will continue to teach social skills, emotional regulation and showing respect for others, Smith said, adding, “They’re showing progress. They’re doing well.” He praised the teachers and staff for showing “flexibility” in how they educate.
ELHS project
The future of East Longmeadow High School (ELHS) is something that will be decided in 2023. The High School Building Committee is working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), an agency that reimburses districts for a portion of school building projects. The team is narrowing in on one of four proposed designs and fleshing out the costs related to it. So far, public feedback has been leaning toward constructing a new building, Smith told Reminder Publishing. After approval by the MSBA later this year, residents will vote on funding the final design in November.
Special education
As the state’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grants end, Smith said the district needs to find a way to build grant-funded costs into the operational budget. This comes as the district is faced with a 14 percent increase in the cost of providing an appropriate education for high-needs students that require programs outside of the district. Smith said he is “hoping” the legislature can provide funding to help public schools defray the cost.
While Smith has not seen an increase in the number of students requiring out-of-district placements, there has been a spike in pre-K students who need early intervention. He explained that limited access to daycare programs and social exposure limited developmental opportunities in children who may otherwise have been better equipped for general education classrooms.
Smith said, “We always want the community to know how appreciative we are of how supportive they are of education.” He also praised the Town Council for its partnership in the budget process.