Pingree Parent Council

TOMORROW is the Pingree World Cup Field Day 🏆⚽️🥅

Get ready for a fun filled day. A few reminders:
🌭Lunch will be hot dogs only- no alternative options available. Please send a home lunch is your student does not want a hotdog.
☀️Hoping for a cooler day but the sun will be out so don’t forget sunscreen and hats!
💦🍉🍊❄️There will be a water and snack stations plus a special frozen treats to keep cool.

Get ready to shoot and score!!!!

Field Day is Coming (6.15.26)!

Reminder, if you signed up to donate water💧, coolers ❄️, watermelon 🍉 or oranges 🍊, Parent Council will have a table at after school pick up for collections TOMORROW (Friday!)

Please leave donations with the front office if you are unable to drop off items at the end of the school day.

Thank you ❤️

The Fun Runs on with a slime party! Mrs. Koczela’s class enjoyed a sticky, gooey, slimy time thanks to a hard earned Fun Run prize. 🦠🧪💚

Happy Half Day!

Reminders for 5th grade farewell at Starland:
*There will be no transportation to or from Pingree to Starland. Parents must make arrangements for their student to be dropped off and picked up.
*All students must have a signed permission slip to obtain their park pass.
*Please note, this is not a school or parent council sponsored event. Parent chaperones are volunteer based and will be available to assist with supervision.

Starland, Hanover MA

Keeping the COOL in School!🥶❄️💨

Today, a fresh delivery of fans arrived at Pingree School to help keep classrooms comfortable as temperatures rise. These fans will help create a cooler learning environment for everyone during the warmer days ahead.

🎉 2026 Field Day – 6.15.26 – is almost here! 🎉

We’re looking for volunteers and donations to help make this day unforgettable for our Pingree students! 💙

🙌 Volunteer opportunities available:
• Setup
• Event prep
• Running Field Day stations and more!

🍉 Donation needs:
• Water
• Oranges
• Watermelon
• Coolers to borrow for the day

Thank you for helping make this event extra special for our Pingree students! 🌟

Sign Up Sheet:

https://m.signupgenius.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleASFSghleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaeIaMK4f0jVmAg-doMNiAuK5KcO3i3DszW9awOatOc3-7F5Z7A-lBVoDJyo4w_aem_oeU8CKtlo6ws6hNPXb2XtA #!/showSignUp/10C0E44ACAE2DA7FECE9-64336718-field?useFullSite=false

Join us for our May Pingree Parent Council meeting, May 19th from 6-7pm. This meeting will include our ‘26-‘27 election voting from 6-6:15pm. Please note, this is an in-person meeting and will be held in the library. Please see the election ballot below:

Co-Presidents: re-election of Lauren DiVincenzo and Rachel Clark

Co- Vice Presidents: re-election of Kate Mulligan. New nomination of Alyssa Bowman

Secretary: New nomination of Ashleigh Donahue

Treasurer: Re-election of Kristi LaFrance

*no write ins will be accepted

Following up on what has been happening since 3/27, when the WPS Administration proposed a level service budget and Weymouth School Committee voted in favor of supporting this necessary 5.27% increase to maintain the same services as this year. (Thank you WSC/WPS Admin!)

Many who read the Mayor’s WPS budget proposal letter (published April 16th) likely believed WPS would receive level service funding (maintaining same services as this year), but this is not the case.

A group of parents have been attending School Committee budget sub-meetings and Town Council meetings to better understand the letter and the budget book. Here’s what we’ve learned:

Key Clarifications:

• The letter’s reference to a WPS/School Committee FY27 level service request of $98,877,714 was an error.
• The claim that the Mayor’s FY27 appropriation fully meets level service is incorrect and misleading.
• Actual WPS/Weymouth School Committee FY27 level service request: $94,877,714 (+5.27% from FY26).
• Mayor’s FY27 WPS operating budget: $93,249,479 (+3.5% from FY26).
• Operating budget shortfall: $1,628,235 (-1.8%).

Additional Details:
• Includes $500K from Free Cash (a source of one-time funding dollars) for “Special Education Reserve for Unfunded ESPs”
→ Not part of the operating budget; restricted use only.

This shortfall adds to those of recent years:
• FY25: -$1,673,359
• FY26: -$1,965,216
• Total underfunding (last 2 years): $3,638,575
FY27 will again require WPS to close a $1,628,235 gap.

How the Gap Gets Filled:
• Fee increases
- WHS sports
- Extra-curriculars
- Bus transportation
- Pre-school tuition
- Program eliminations
- Staff reductions (TBD)
- Potential internal shifts via “attrition” (retirements/resignations), e.g. $745K “Fund SPED”

Big Picture:

Level service increases have been ~5% annually — not sustainable given revenue limits.
State and federal changes are needed, but typically take years to take effect.
In the meantime, Weymouth’s Mayor and Town Council must identify new revenue sources.

Important Context:

• Weymouth is in the bottom 1/3 in MA for per-pupil spending.
• Taxes are lower than surrounding towns, but we urge parents to consider supporting an override to fund schools above level service next year.
• Our kids, educators, and our town needs and deserves it.

How You Can Help:

Monday 5/18 – Town Council final budget meeting

This is the ONLY public comment opportunity → speak if you can!

Not comfortable speaking? Just show up to support WPS.

Monday, May 18th- Town Hall, 7:30pm

TIME FOR PINGREE PARENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Interested in joining the Pingree Parent Council? All positions are open for election. Below are the re-nominations for the current board.

If you are interested in running for any position, please email your nomination to [email protected] by Friday, May 15th. Voting will take place at the beginning of our upcoming May 19th meeting.

Please note that write-in candidates will not be accepted. Reach out if you are interested in learning more about each position.

2026–2027 Pingree Parent Council Nominations:

Lauren DiVincenzo – Co-President (Re-Election)
Rachel Clark – Co-President (Re-Election)
Kate Mulligan – Vice President (Re-Election)
Vacant Seat – Vice President
Ashleigh Donahue – Secretary (New Nomination)
Vacant Seat – Secretary
Kristi LaFrance – Treasurer (Re-Election)