Hingham School Committee Votes to Start School Year September 1

HINGHAM — January 29, 2026 — Hingham School Committee unanimously approves a September 1 start to the 2026-27 school year, departing from the district's tradition of opening after Labor Day. The committee, meeting for the third of eight budget sessions, cited a September 7 Labor Day — the latest possible — a November 3 election-day closure, and the risk of a late June finish compounded by snow days as reasons for the shift. Superintendent Katie Enright also presented a $72,847,183 FY27 operating budget built within a 3.5 percent town MOU, featuring a $200,000 savings from 13 incoming electric buses and a $33,000 reduction in technology supplies. Athletic fees remain unchanged from last year's schedule — $450 for a first sport, $750 for hockey — after Enright declared the district "right-sized" and effectively "fee'd out." Two South Elementary parents urged the committee to restore a third-grade section cut last spring, and Enright acknowledged that NESDEC projections forecasting 117 additional students over three years make new elementary sections likely within the next few years.