Hingham School Committee ratifies bus driver contract, names permanent assistant superintendent

HINGHAM — December 15, 2025 — Hingham School Committee unanimously ratified a 2026-2029 contract with bus and van drivers and permanently appointed Erica Pard as assistant superintendent at its December 15 meeting. The new contract, negotiated by committee member Carrie Knee, adds parental leave, July 4th as a paid holiday, and a shift to bi-weekly payroll, with wage increases intended to keep the district competitive with peer towns. Superintendent Katie Roberts recommended Pard, an 18-year district veteran, to the permanent role after more than a year as interim, calling her record "a cycle of improvement for HPS curriculum and programming." The meeting also surfaced a sharp controversy when college counseling coordinator Heather Rodriguez confirmed that no student on an active IEP enrolled in an AP course during the 2024-2025 school year — prompting committee member John Mooney to call the finding "troubling" and the committee to direct a dedicated review by the educational programming subcommittee. The committee additionally approved up to $269,986.36 from its extraordinary capital repair fund for HVAC and roof repairs at three school buildings, accepted a $10,000 fitness facility donation from community member Steve Berger, and cleared a $497 Cape Cod 5 Savings Bank mini grant for the physics department.