Hingham School Committee elects Benham chair, approves Eagle Scout trail rebuild

HINGHAM — May 5, 2025 — Hingham School Committee reorganizes under new chair Jen Benham after the spring town election. Benham was unanimously elected chair at the May 5 meeting, with Michelle elected vice chair and Allison Anderson as secretary — all running unopposed — alongside the seating of newly elected member John Mooney. The committee unanimously approved an Eagle Scout proposal by Huck Shaughnessy, a Troop 4 member, to rebuild a collapsed 12-foot bridge and clear six downed trees along the South School Nature Trail, with a civil engineer parent assisting the project. A student French-language trip to Quebec City for February 26-28, 2026 was also approved, along with a $368 donation from Derby Street shops to Hingham Public Schools for general use. The committee conducted first reads of three MASC-recommended policies covering data and records retention, artificial intelligence, and field trip approval authority, with votes expected at the next meeting. A memorandum of understanding with Hingham Police Department was tabled after Chief Jones was unavailable to address outstanding questions.