School Committee - Wellesley Public Schools

Back Row, L to R: Sharon Clarke, Joanne DaSilva Moreira, Linda Chow, Illana Nissenbaum. Front Row, Christina Horner (L), Niki Ofenloch

What’s New

RECENTLY UPDATED POLICIES

Voted at the November 18 Meeting:

Voted at the January 20, 2026 Meeting:

POLICIES UNDER REVIEW:

Policy ADF – Wellness Policy (No changes recommended), Policy ADF -R Wellness Policy Implementation Guidelines

FEASIBILITY STUDY – AIR CONDITIONING

Wellesley Town Meeting unanimously approved Article 18 at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting, appropriating up to $182,000 for a comprehensive study of options for air conditioning at the Bates, Fiske, Schofield schools and Wellesley Middle School.

Update on Feasibility Study: At its December 9, 2025 meeting the School Committee received an update on the Feasibility Study. The update included details of three system options – VRF (full building A/C), heat pumps, and window units. Information on cost, electrical requirements, sustainability considerations, annual operating costs, pros/cons of each option and project schedules is included in the presentation.

At its December 16, 2025 meeting, the School Committee voted unanimously to move the feasibility study forward with window unit option for all four buildings. Additionally, on a parallel track, the Committee stated it would continue to investigate a larger HVAC project at Bates that would include all electric heating and cooling systems. This was discussed as a possible project due to the age of the Bates school and routine HVAC work that is currently planned.

Current Project Timeline

Currently In-Progress: Project Feasibility Study
Fall 2026: Request Design Funds at Special Town Meeting
Fall 2027: Request Construction Funds at Special Town Meeting
Late Fall/Early Winter 2027: Town-wide Debt Exclusion vote (this assumes funding will require a debt exclusion)
Summer/Fall 2028: Construction

The following background materials have additional information on this project:

OFFICE HOURS 2025-26: The School Committee is pleased to offer office hours virtually, once a month during the school year. Office hours provide the community an opportunity for engagement with one or two members of the Committee.The next office hours will be March 12, 2026 at 7:00-8:00 PM. Sign up here. Community members who wish to engage with the Committee are also encouraged to participate in Public Comment at a future meeting, or email the Committee and the Superintendent at school_committee@wellesleyps.org.

About the School Committee

The School Committee is a legislative body comprised of 5 members elected during town elections in March and who serve 3-year terms. In addition to supporting the core values, vision and mission of the Wellesley Public Schools, the Committee’s responsibilities are to:

Develop and manage school policies
Support the allocation of resources by overseeing budget & facilities
Hire and review superintendent of schools
Advocate for the school district

School Committee Work Plan 2025-26

School Committee Members (see bios and roles & assignments):

Niki Ofenloch, Chair	Term Ends 2027
Sharon Clarke, Vice Chair	Term Ends 2026
Illana Nissenbaum, Secretary	Term Ends 2028
Linda Chow, Member	Term Ends 2027
Christina I. Horner, M.Ed., Member	Term Ends 2026

METCO Representative to School Committee: Dr. Joanne DaSilva Moreira
Student Advisory Committee 2025-26: Alex Budson-McQuilken, Stephanie Xia, Sanah Goenka, Maria Hammel, Janelle Albert

To send a message to the School Committee & Superintendent, please email: School_Committee@wellesleyps.org. To send a message to individual members, click their name above for their direct email address.

Core Values

Academic Excellence
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Commitment to Community
Value and Respect for Human Differences
Caring and Cooperative Relationships

Meetings & Materials

Meetings are held primarily on Tuesdays remotely online via Wellesley Media. Please check the Town of Wellesley Agenda Center and Meeting Calendar for up-to-date information on meeting dates and agendas. Refer to Agendas, Presentations & Minutes for materials from meetings that have already taken place.

Watch School Committee meetings online at wellesleymedia.org, on Comcast channels 8 & 9, or Verizon channels 39 & 40.

Click here to subscribe or view past issues of the School Committee newsletter, which provides a recap of each regular meeting.

School Committee Outreach

Members of the School Committee participate in many different forms of community outreach & engagement during the school year, including:

Monthly Office Hours
Participation in monthly Central Council of PTO meetings
“School Committee Conversations” at each school, and/or visits to school PTO meetings (advertised via school newsletters)
Participation in districtwide initiatives (e.g., the Future of Preschool Task force, the Academic Calendar Task Force, and others)
Additional outreach to groups and individuals as needed