Hingham School Committee votes to stay out of state school choice program for 2027

HINGHAM — April 13, 2026 — Hingham School Committee honored nine-year member Michelle Ayer and acted on a slate of student travel and grant items at its April 13 meeting. The committee voted unanimously to withdraw from the state's inter-district school choice program for the 2027 school year, with Superintendent Katie Murphy citing high service-provider caseloads and noting that no comparable district currently participates. In its most time-sensitive action, the board granted Murphy unilateral authority to book a potential FIRST Robotics World Championship trip to Houston, Texas — April 29 through May 2 — and accept associated grant funding if the team receives an invitation during April vacation, which Murphy called "fairly high likelihood" and would be a first for the program. The committee also accepted a $3,019 donation from the Hingham High School Green Team, raised through student volunteer work at a middle school antique fair, to fund a composting partnership with vendor Black Earth, and a separate $108 gift from WSM Hingham Properties. Athletic Director Jim Quatrimoni reported that 87 percent of Hingham High School students participated in athletics this year — an all-time district high. State Senator Patrick O'Connor appeared in person to present Ayer with a formal Senate citation, calling her navigation of the district through COVID and her role in the Foster School project and override campaign "an incredible skill."