East Bridgewater School Committee Elects Pennington Chair, Adopts New District Mission Statement

EAST BRIDGEWATER — May 19, 2026 — East Bridgewater School Committee reorganizes for 2026-2027, electing Ellen Pennington chair. The committee unanimously elected Pennington as chairperson, Dan Pico as vice chair, and Crystal Hudson as secretary at its May 19 reorganization meeting, with Superintendent Dr. Gina Williams designated treasurer per longstanding practice. New member Don McDougall was welcomed and assigned as the primary school committee representative to the Capital Needs Planning Committee. The committee unanimously adopted a revised district mission statement — "In partnership with our community, we commit to empowering every student with the confidence, skills, and resilience to thrive and make a meaningful impact" — developed by a 25-member strategic planning committee. School Business Administrator John Shea reported the district is projecting a year-end positive balance of approximately $217,000, with a non-salary deficit of roughly $1.3 million offset by $1,466,000 in circuit breaker funds and revolving account commitments. The committee approved Payroll Warrant 45PS and Accounts Payable Warrant SW#46, with one abstention on the payroll warrant, and tabled the selection of a delegate to the MASC Annual Conference until September.