Dear Douglas Families,
I am writing to follow up and remind you about the upcoming community meetings related to the exploratory study on a possible grade reconfiguration within the Douglas Public Schools.
At last month’s School Committee meeting, I shared the findings from this study and provided several updates, including:
Grade 1 will remain at Douglas Primary School (DPS) at this time.
Before- and after-school care will shift to Douglas Elementary School (DES) beginning next year.
A new three-year-old preschool classroom is planned for DPS for the 2026–2027 school year.
There will be no changes at DES.
We will pause and continue to examine a potential move of Grade 8 to Douglas High School (DHS) only if space is needed in the future and/or if the new BVT enrollment formula does not produce the desired results.
Ongoing collaboration will continue between middle school and high school staff to support alignment and cohesion.
To be clear, there are no plans at this time to make any grade configuration changes. These meetings are intended solely to share information, review the presentation from the School Committee meeting, discuss what a future transition could look like if ever needed, and most importantly gather community feedback.
Upcoming Community Meetings
Tuesday, January 6
DPS/DES Joint Community Meeting
DPS Café — 6:00 PMTuesday, January 13 (rescheduled from January 8)
DMS/DHS Joint Community Meeting
DMS Café — 6:00 PM
We value your input and encourage families to attend if you are able. Your feedback helps ensure that any future decisions are made thoughtfully and collaboratively.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support of Douglas Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Paul D. Vieira, Ed.D.
Superintendent
https://app.smore.com/n/8zq2mj
To ensure safety and avoid conflicts with school-day activities and events, pallet pickup will be available only during the following dates and times:
📅 Week of December 29th through January 2nd
🕗 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Pickups are limited to these dates and times only, as school will not be in session during this week. We kindly ask all visitors to be respectful of school property and remain mindful of the campus while on site.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We are happy to share these materials with the community and appreciate your help in keeping our campus safe.
I look forward to connecting and hope to see many of you there!
Reminder: Tonight from 5:30-7pm
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Douglas Public Schools invites all parents and guardians to join us for Parent Tech Night on Wednesday, November 20th, from 3:00–6:00 PM in the Douglas Middle School Cafeteria — right before Parent-Teacher Conferences!
Our tech team will be onsite to help with:
💡 PowerSchool Mobile App
💡 DPS District App
💡 Parent Portal & Online Forms
💡 Google Classroom
Stop by, get hands-on help, and bring all your questions! We look forward to seeing you there. 🙌
#DouglasPublicSchools #ParentTechNight #DPSTech #CommunitySupport
https://secure.smore.com/n/gs76c
Calling all parents and caregivers! DSEPAC invites you to join an information session with Blackstone Valley local SEPACS and Special Education Directors, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 from 5-6:30pm. Hopedale Junior Senior High School will be hosting the event.
See Flyer for more details.
Click the link below to RSVP:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-lVGiAAGqI_nY3wsw2NSAM2f8dJHuIFtmcR1dnGMJCHBtjA/viewform
I hope this message finds you well. Last night at the School Committee meeting I announced that the Douglas Public Schools are beginning the process of exploring the possibility of a grade reconfiguration within the district. At this time, no decisions have been made as our focus is on research and analysis.
As part of this exploration, we will be considering the following potential changes:
Making the Primary School a true early childhood center consisting only of PreK and Kindergarten
Redesignating the Elementary School as a Grade 1–4 school
Configuring the Middle School as a Grade 5–7 school
Expanding the High School to serve Grades 8–12
This potential shift could bring several opportunities:
Currently, the Primary School has only three PreK classrooms. We have seen an increase in demand for both special education and regular education PreK placements. Moving 1st grade to the Elementary School would create up to four additional classroom spaces for early childhood education.
Many school districts have moved 8th grade into the high school setting. Doing so can strengthen educational opportunities, increase competitiveness with vocational schools, and provide greater financial and programmatic opportunities for both students and the community.
Over the next few months, I will be working with our building principals to meet with neighboring districts that have made similar shifts in order to better understand the benefits and challenges of such a transition. From there, we will develop a potential plan to share with the community, and we will seek feedback from families, staff, and stakeholders. My goal is to have a draft plan available sometime this winter.
I recognize that the idea of reconfiguration may cause questions, concerns, or even stress. At the same time, it also presents exciting opportunities for us to expand programs and strengthen our district. We are committed to weighing all options carefully and listening to our community.
I want to be transparent from the beginning, so that as discussions take place and questions arise, you are hearing directly from me. As this process unfolds, I will continue to provide regular updates and opportunities for input.
Thank you for your partnership, your support, and your commitment to the students of Douglas.
My best,
Paul D. Vieira, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Attached is a copy of my weekly newsletter. Have a great weekend!
https://secure.smore.com/n/quh71
