Marlborough School Committee approves BPA trip and operating transfers, hears SEL proposal

MARLBOROUGH -- January 24, 2023, Marlborough High reports nearly half of upperclassmen in advanced coursework as district eyes new SEL supervisor. Principal Daniel Riley told the School Committee that 49 percent of juniors and seniors are now in Early College or Advanced Placement, with 382 Early College seats producing a projected 1,146 free college credits and an estimated $9,576 in average tuition savings per student. Director of Special Education Michelle O'Brien proposed reviving the long-vacant Unit B supervisor of counseling position, unbudgeted since fiscal 2019, as a pre-K to 12 Supervisor of Social Emotional Learning, tied to delayed action steps in the district's Strategies for Improvement. Member Denise Sanese, pushing back on accelerated hiring before the fiscal 2024 budget vote, called it "putting the cart before the horse." The committee also approved a $300-per-student BPA state conference trip and $25,614 in operating transfers, and recognized senior Jackson Clemens as the state's top All-State tuba.