I am pleased to share the good news that we will have school tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25, with a regular start time.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Town of Douglas, Adam Furno and his team, and Jeff Kollett and his staff for the exceptional work they have done to prepare our streets and schools. This was no small task. They worked long hours under very challenging conditions over the past several days, and we are deeply grateful for their dedication and commitment to our community.
At this time, roads throughout town are clear and passable for cars and buses. Our school walkways, parking lots, and entrances have also been cleared, and we are ready to welcome students and staff back.
That said, I want to ask for everyone’s continued patience and cooperation over the next few days. Snow banks remain high and will likely stay that way for the coming weeks. The Highway Department will continue pushing back snow and sidewalks in the center of town are currently impassable and are expected to remain that way until later this week.
Please exercise caution when traveling to and from school and while waiting at bus stops. We have approximately 30 students who typically walk to school, and due to the sidewalk conditions, I ask families to drive students if possible.
If driving is not an option, Tellstone, our bus provider, has added temporary bus stops through the end of the week to support students (DMS and DHS only) who live in the center of town and would normally walk. The stops and times are listed below:
D1 Corner of Bowen Ct. and Main St.
(6:55AM/First drop off in the afternoon)
D1 Corner of Cummings Ct. and Main St.
(6:35AM/First drop off in the afternoon)
D5 Depot St. and Pleasant St.
(6:55AM/First drop off in the afternoon)
D11 Corner of Gleason and Main St
(6:55AM / First drop off in the afternoon)
In addition, I have been in contact with the Douglas Police Department, and there will be an increased police presence in the center of town during school arrival and dismissal over the next three days. I am thankful to Tellstone and the Douglas Police Department for their partnership.
Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and support. We look forward to welcoming everyone back tomorrow and returning to our regular routines together.
Respectfully,
Paul D. Vieira, Ed.D.
Superintendent
https://app.smore.com/n/1v3e5
Attached is a copy of my weekly newsletter.
https://app.smore.com/n/3sx5y
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
https://secure.smore.com/n/q60dc
