Wellesley Public Schools

Important updates to the WPS attendance procedures will become effective with the start of the 2024-25 school year. These updates include detailed new procedures on absences and tardies that will be included in all school handbooks. Improving student attendance is an important goal for WPS during the upcoming school year. Please read this post for more information on the district’s new attendance procedures.

The PowerSchool Parent Portal will be open from August 14 at 12:00 noon through September 4, 2024.  Each year it is essential for the Wellesley Public Schools to confirm the emergency contact information, directory information, and other important permissions for each of our students. Read the district’s 2024-25 Back to School Letter and more detailed information about Parent Portal.

Until August 21, hours for the public at each school and for Central Office are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is strongly recommended that you call ahead to the individual schools before dropping by. In almost all cases, student registration can be completed electronically. Please visit the student registration page for more information or contact the District Registrar at 781-446-6210; 5600 or at registrar@wellesleyps.org.

For the fourth year in a row, WPS is providing families with a PreK-12 summer learning website. This rich resource provides our families with a wide array of elementary reading suggestions, STEM activities, WMS reading assignments and subject specific summer assignments for students in our high school. Families can also find links to check out books from our online library (SORA), take virtual field trips, go on museum tours, listen to recommended podcasts and access summer reading programs hosted by our Public Libraries. Our community can access the summer learning website by going to our district homepage or any of the school homepages.

In March, the School Committee appointed a task force to make recommendations regarding the observance of religious and cultural holidays within the Wellesley Public Schools Academic Calendar. The task force began meeting in April and includes a variety of stakeholders, including members of the School Committee, members of WPS faculty and staff, WPS parents, and Wellesley High School students. For more information including meeting materials and recordings, please see the dedicated page for the Academic Calendar Task Force. 

On May 21 in the courtyard of Wellesley High School, Gov. Maura Healey and Sec. Kate Walsh of the Department of Health and Human Services announced a new initiative supporting students’ mental health. The Healey-Driscoll administration will make an unprecedented investment in the Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT) program, an in-school program supporting students who have fallen behind academically due to challenges with their mental health. Using the WHS Bridge program as a model, the administration is investing $13 Million to establish similar programs in other communities. Read more about this exciting day.

The updated Elementary School Districts Map will take effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year, with the closing of Upham School and the opening of the new Hardy School. Please read Updated Elementary Redistricting Map Voted January 2024 for further information on the recent changes to the redistricting map. Use the Find Your Elementary School District Tool to find your elementary school district using your street address.

Kindergarten: For children 5 years of age on or before August 31, 2024. Click for Registration Forms, Required Documents and More Information.

Grades 1-12:  For Grades 1 through 12, please see more information, forms and document requirements.

Child Find: Under federal and state special education regulations, the Wellesley Public Schools has a responsibility to locate, identify, refer, evaluation and if eligible, provide a free, appropriate, public education to students with disabilities who reside in the town of Wellesley. Click for more information.

As the Wellesley Public Schools prepares to open new Hunnewell and Hardy schools, a detailed schedule of events has been created and shared with the community. The new Hunnewell opened Monday, February 26, 2024, with the new Hardy scheduled to open in August 2024. Please see the full timeline of events. This schedule will be updated throughout the year as plans are finalized. Read more about the new Hunnewell design and sustainability features in this brochure from architect SMMA, and learn more about the building projects at wellesleyHHU.org.

With Lights Installed, Focus is on Preparing for New Buildings by Hunnewell Track & Field

School Committee’s proposal to install bathrooms, a concession stand, team rooms, lights and an improved sound system – collectively known as Phase II Enhancements to the Hunnewell Track & Field – has seen significant progress since the end of 2023, as outlined in this update dated 4/23/24. With lights installed and a new sound system to follow, much of the recent activity has been on preparing the site for the installation of prefabricated bathrooms and a concession stand, expected by Fall 2024. The Committee voted on May 21 to move forward into Design and Permitting with an enhanced modular building option for the Team Rooms and with DPW as the implementation partner. Read more on the T&F Projects page.

The Wellesley Public Schools is in the process of updating its district strategic plan, for implementation in Fall 2023. The Strategic Plan Steering Committee developed an initial framework for the 2023-28 Strategic Plan that was approved by the School Committee on June 13. On November 14, 2023, the School Committee approved the 5-year worksheet that serves as the blueprint to the Strategic Plan. A report will be provided to the community in early 2024. Please visit the strategic planning page for additional information on the process and goals.

On September 19, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released the official 2023 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) results online. Wellesley Public Schools is proud to share that all schools have met or exceeded the MCAS achievement targets set by DESE, as we continue to focus on pandemic recovery. The district is also pleased to announce that Wellesley is home to four of the 66 Massachusetts schools designated as Schools of Recognition by DESE: Bates Elementary, Sprague Elementary, Wellesley Middle School, and Wellesley High School. The Wellesley School and District Profile is available on the DESE website. Read the full update.

Wellesley Public Schools is pleased to announce that two Boston resident parents have been appointed to serve together as METCO Representatives to the Wellesley School Committee. This new, non-voting position was created by the School Committee in May 2023. The new representatives, Nicole Daley and Dr. Joanne DaSilva Moreira, will represent and advocate for Boston resident students and families; participate in biweekly School Committee meetings; collaborate closely with district leaders to support Boston resident students and families; and work to ensure Boston resident students and families feel welcomed, supported, and valued in WPS. Their first School Committee meeting appearance was October 3. Read more about them here.

Profile of a Graduate (Accessible)

The Town of Wellesley’s Climate Action Plan was developed as a roadmap for the future of our community and its residents. Launched in February 2022 after more than a year of work, the Plan outlines specific actions Wellesley will take to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change and to build resilience to climate change impacts. It is organized along six pathways: Governance, Energy, Buildings, Mobility, Natural Resources, and Waste.

Please visit the WPS Anti-Bullying Resources page to learn more about bullying prevention or to report a bullying incident.

Please use the following links to access information on the Equity Lawsuit:

WPS Statement on Lawsuit

Settlement Agreement – 2/2022

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