Wayland’s School Committee met Nov. 5 and expressed strong support for the district’s formal discrimination-response protocol and for Superintendent David Fleishman’s handling of the recent racial incident at the high school.
Chair Erin Gibbons reaffirmed that the same investigation and notification procedures apply consistently to all reports of bias or harassment, regardless of whether the conduct involves students, staff, or officials. She said the policy’s strength lies in “its consistency and transparency,” emphasizing that the process—not social-media speculation—must guide the district’s response.
Member Christina Rodrigo clarified that discrimination has long been prohibited by district policy and that the new protocol implemented last year, merely formalizes how incidents are investigated and resolved, treating each case with thoroughness rather than speed.
Kate Sambuco noted that the protocol “takes time” and warned that community pressure for instant action must be balanced with fairness and due process.
Erin Mueller said the committee’s calm demeanor during public comment should not be mistaken for indifference, explaining that members are bound to follow policy and procedure while still deeply caring about the wellbeing of the district’s 2,662 students. Betsy Cullen and Sambuco echoed that sentiment.
Members concluded the discussion by reaffirming their trust in district leadership and their shared commitment to “learning, healing, and accountability” through the established protocol.
MCAS and enrollment
Wayland’s School Committee reviewed the spring 2025 MCAS results and a detailed enrollment analysis that will guide long-term facilities and financial planning. Assistant Superintendent Betsy Gavron presented the annual testing data, followed by Finance and Operations Director Kirsteen Patterson’s enrollment report.
The district’s official accountability report showed an 84 percent overall progress-toward-targets rate, up from 75 percent in 2024, supported by “four out of four” points for chronic-absenteeism improvement.
Gavron said Wayland remains a Level 1 district and met all state performance benchmarks. Across grades 3–8, 73 percent of 1,311 students met or exceeded expectations in English Language Arts (ELA), compared with 42 percent statewide.
In Math, 75 percent met or exceeded expectations, versus 41 percent statewide, and in science and technology engineering (STE), 77 percent of 420 met or exceeded expectations, versus 42 percent statewide. At the high school, 82 percent of 194 tenth-graders met or exceeded ELA expectations, and 86 percent did so in math.
The 2025 administration marked the first full year of the new grade 8 Civics assessment, with 82 percent out of 163 met or exceeded expectations—more than double the statewide average of 39 percent.
Gavron said irregularities surfaced this year when the state’s testing vendor, Cognia, used artificial intelligence to score student essays. Nine Wayland students—eight at the middle school and one at Happy Hollow—had scores adjusted before results were released. “It erodes trust when these things happen,” she said. DESE corrected the grades and offered parents the option to request copies of unreleased essays.
ELA performance improved modestly, though committee members voiced concern about low writing scores. Average correct-response rates by category were 77 percent for reading and language but about 59 percent for essays and writing. Rodrigo called the 50-to-60 percent writing scores “really concerning.”
Gavron acknowledged writing remains the district’s weakest area and said a new elementary ELA curriculum will emphasize vocabulary, nonfiction reading, and integrated writing instruction. Student-growth percentiles rose to the mid-50s, indicating typical-to-high growth, and subgroup performance improved, particularly for Black and African American students, whose growth percentiles climbed from the 30s into the 50s.
In math, the average scaled score was 516 and the average student-growth percentile was 55.9. Gavron said the district will return to five days per week of core math at the elementary level after testing a reduced-day model. STE scores held steady, with 80 percent meeting or exceeding expectations.
Enrollment trends presented by Patterson showed total district enrollment of 2,662 students as of Oct. 1, down 39 from the previous year. Claypit Hill gained two students to 496; , Happy Hollow declined by 17 to 313; and The Children’s Way preschool fell by 12 to 40. Despite the decline, Wayland continues to receive above-target state aid because of the Student Opportunity Act, which adjusts the Chapter 70 formula for categories such as low-income, English learners, and special-education students.
A 2025 McKibben demographic study projects continued gradual decline—about 3.3 percent, or roughly 89 students fewer than today’s 2,662 by 2035—with the steepest drop in middle-school enrollment around 2030. High-school enrollment is expected to peak near 2030 at about 847 students before returning to roughly 800 by 2035.
Fleishman said the enrollment data will guide the town’s master facilities and visioning project.
“As we plan for space and programming, we have to balance flexibility with realistic projections,” he said. Patterson added that declining birth rates and an aging population are slowing turnover among family households, reducing new student inflow.
