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."