Dustin Gee - Bellingham School Committee

09/29/2026

Our September School Committee meetings highlighted a positive first few weeks, from classroom learning and Meet the Teacher nights to policy handbook updates, student activities and athletics. Thank you to our educators, staff and families for helping our students start strong!

We also welcomed two new student representatives, who attend each meeting and begin with student-centered updates on happenings across all our schools. Their fun and insightful reports are a wonderful part of each meeting!

A few other highlights:

• AP courses: BHS reported improved AP scores and shared its intentional approach to expanding student participation.

• Career pathways and internships: Seven career pathways serve 188 students, and this year’s senior internship program has its largest class yet.

• Facilities: We established a Facilities Subcommittee and heard a proposal for EV charging stations near three of our four school buildings. A grant is available to help fund installation, but questions around costs and long term financial responsibilities were concerns. No motion was made to support applying for the grant.

• Town updates: Our Town Administrator, Joe Laydon, attended the Sept 22nd School Committee Meeting and provided updates on town health insurance, town HR department and support for school employees, and the upcoming Fall Annual Town Meeting in November.

Going forward, I’ll share these recaps monthly instead of every two weeks. Official meeting minutes will continue to be approved by the School Committee and made available to the public. Residents can attend meetings in person or virtually, and recordings of every meeting are typically available within 24–48 hours through ABMI: https://abmi8.org/videos

09/25/2026

Friday night football under an insane Bellingham sunset. Homecoming Weekend and Blackhawk spirit in full force. Let’s go, Blackhawks! 🏈

09/24/2026

What a night at Fenway! ⚾️🎶

So proud of the Bellingham High School Band for performing the National Anthem before the Red Sox vs. Guardians game. Our students sounded amazing, and a huge shoutout to our incredible music educators and band leaders who helped make the night so special.

It was awesome seeing so many students, families, and community members at Fenway cheering them on and enjoying the night together.

Way to go, Bellingham! And an added bonus — another Red Sox win!

09/11/2026

I can still remember September 11, 2001 as clearly as I remember how blue the sky was that morning.

I was 14 years old, sitting in Contemporary Issues class at my middle school in Tioga, Pennsylvania. Our teacher came in visibly shaken by something he had heard and rolled a TV into the room so we could see what was happening. By then, both towers had been struck and one had already collapsed. We spent much of the rest of the day watching the news and the minute-by-minute reporting as everything continued to unfold.

At 14, I certainly didn’t fully understand the enormity of what we were watching, but there are pieces of that day that have never really left me.

Twenty-five years later, I think about 9/11 through a very different lens; as a parent, as a School Committee member, and as someone who believes deeply in the importance of teaching history. The good, the painful, the loss, the sacrifice, and the lessons that come from all of it. Our kids deserve to understand the moments that shaped the country and world they are growing up in.

This photo was taken on September 11, 2011, in Brooklyn, looking out toward Lower Manhattan. I was 24 years old and in my first semester of grad school at NYU. It had been exactly 10 years since the attacks, and I remember standing there looking at the Tribute in Light and just taking it all in. Ten years earlier, I had watched everything unfold from a classroom in Tioga. Now I was living in New York City, looking back toward a place that had come to mean so much to me.

I was fortunate to call New York home for much of my twenties, first while attending graduate school and then while working there in education. It is a city filled with so many different people, cultures, ideas and experiences, and it helped shape who I am today; as a father, a friend and a citizen.

Today I’m remembering the people whose lives were lost, the families forever changed, and the first responders and so many others who served and sacrificed. Twenty-five years later, September 11 is still part of our national story and world history; not only because of what happened that day, but because of the ways it shaped our country in the years that followed.

And maybe that is part of why remembering matters. We honor those we lost, we make sure the history is not forgotten, and we reflect on what it can teach us about who we are today and who we want to be in the years ahead.

Twenty-five years from now, I hope we can look back and see a country that continued working toward being safer, kinder, more understanding and more connected to one another.

09/09/2026

Sharing for visibility.

Families, parents, and caregivers with a child on an IEP or 504 are invited to join the Bellingham SEPAC meeting on Wednesday, September 23 at 6:00 PM at the Bellingham High School Library.

Whether your child is in preschool, elementary, middle or high school, receives services out of district, or is transitioning through age 22, SEPAC is a great opportunity to:

✨ Connect with other families
💬 Ask questions and share experiences
📚 Learn about resources and supports
🤝 Hear what’s happening in our school community

You can join in person or online. To receive the virtual meeting link, email [email protected].

09/08/2026

Our next Bellingham School Committee meeting is tonight at 6:45pm; Arcand Room, 10 Mechanic Street.

The agenda will include:

🎓 Introduction of our new Student Representatives
📚 Opening Day updates from our principals
🚌 Extended School Year (ESY) overview
📖 Updates to parent/student handbook language and district policies
⚖️ New Policy ACL: Interacting with Law Enforcement Officers Engaged in Civil Law Enforcement (PROTECT Act)
🏫 Establishment of a Facilities Subcommittee
✈️ Approval of upcoming Washington, D.C. and February vacation student trips
💬 Citizen’s Input

As always, community members are welcome to attend and stay connected with what’s happening across our schools!

Members of the public can access the meeting via live stream through Zoom at:
https://bpsdk12-org.zoom.us/j/88092589234?pwd=lygEAJUV67PjYvabHjV3NlaEY0PQV8.1

Meeting ID: 880 9258 9234 / Passcode: 257724

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

09/01/2026

It’s Election Day, Bellingham!

Polls are open at Bellingham High School until 8 p.m. Stop by, cast your ballot, and make your voice heard!

Every vote helps shape the future of our Commonwealth and our community. Let’s get out and vote, Bellingham!

08/26/2026

From our crew to yours, have a great first day of the new school year!

Our school leaders, teachers, and staff have been hard at work preparing for today and the year ahead. Every child deserves a champion, and in Bellingham, we always put our students first.

Wishing all of our students, families, educators, and staff a great start to the 2026–27 school year!

08/22/2026

How cool is this?

The Bellingham High School Band is headed to Fenway Park on Wednesday September 23 to perform the National Anthem before the Red Sox take on Cleveland joined by the Bellingham Police & Fire Honor Guard!

Lots of Bellingham school and community pride and this is definitely a night at Fenway you won’t want to miss. ❤️💙 🎶⚾️

Tickets are available here: https://www.gofevo.com/event/BellinghamNight

See you at Fenway!

9/23/26 @ 6:45 PM - Bellingham High School Music

08/17/2026

We’re getting very close to the start of another school year, and there was a lot covered at the August 11 School Committee meeting. From staffing and student support to policy updates and changes at Bellingham High School, I wanted to share a few highlights with our community.

If you missed the meeting, you can watch the full recording here: https://abmi8.org/video/2026-08-13/bellingham-sc-meeting-81126

👋 Superintendent’s Report

During the Superintendent’s Report, we reviewed several positions that have recently been filled, including new hires and rehires across the district. Two positions of particular importance this year are the Assistant Principal supporting DiPietro and Stall Brook Elementary Schools and the Dean of Students at Bellingham High School. Both roles provide important capacity for our school leaders and meaningful day-to-day support for students and staff.

These roles do not represent net-new additions to the district’s overall headcount, but reflect how existing positions and resources are being structured to better support students, staff, and school leadership.

📱 Student Technology & Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone Policy

The Committee voted to approve updates to our student technology policies, including the Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone and Personal Electronic Device Policy. These updates establish clearer expectations around student use of personal devices during the school day and support a learning environment with fewer distractions.

🍎 Cafeteria Substitute Pay

Following a proposal from Director of School Nutrition Liz Bell, the Committee voted to increase the cafeteria substitute rate by $1.00*.

An important distinction: the School Nutrition Program operates through a separate budget from the district’s general school operating budget and is funded through federal/USDA and state sources. That context is important, as this increase is being supported within the School Nutrition Program’s own budget.

🎓 Superintendent Evaluation

We also received a thoughtful and informative presentation from our local Field Director with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) on one of the School Committee’s important responsibilities: evaluating the Superintendent.

The educator evaluation framework connects the Superintendent’s performance to district goals, improvement priorities, professional practice, student outcomes, and inclusive practices. It was a helpful opportunity for the Committee to deepen our understanding of this responsibility and the process that supports it.

📖 Bellingham High School Handbook Updates

The Committee approved several proposed handbook changes, including the addition of a formal Credit Recovery Policy.

Previously, the handbook did not include a clearly defined credit recovery process. The new policy creates a more consistent pathway for students who do not successfully complete a course because of academic performance or excessive absences, while maintaining academic standards and clear expectations.

The goal is to give students appropriate opportunities to stay on track for promotion and graduation while providing greater consistency for students, families, and staff.

All student and parent handbooks for the 2026–27 school year are expected to be updated on the district website and individual school pages by early next week.

📝 Approved Open Session Meeting Minutes

We also approved Open Session minutes from May 12 and July 16, 2026. They are available on the district website under the School Committee section.

📅 Next Meeting

Our next School Committee meeting is Tuesday, September 8 at 6:45 p.m.

As always, I’ll continue sharing highlights from our meetings to help families and community members stay informed about the work happening across Bellingham Public Schools. We’re just about ready to begin another school year, and there is a lot to be excited about.