We’ve had a productive summer, and as we prepare to welcome students and staff back for the 2025–26 school year, our focus remains squarely on student growth and achievement.
We will continue to prioritize early literacy, building on the gains we’ve seen in third-grade English Language Arts. Our teachers and instructional teams have strengthened foundational reading instruction using the state-mandated Science of Reading framework. This includes explicit, evidence-based approaches to decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. These efforts are already making a measurable impact, and we’re committed to continuing that progress.
This year, we are also bringing that same focus on literacy to the upper grades. For students in grades 5 through 8, literacy instruction takes a different form — centered on academic vocabulary, content-area reading, and strategies for accessing complex texts.
These students were in their foundational years during the height of COVID-related disruptions, and we recognize the need for additional, age-appropriate support. Updated curriculum materials, dedicated intervention time, and professional development for teachers are all in place to meet that need.
In addition to our instructional focus, we are welcoming a few new building leaders to the district:
• Mr. Fabrice Decaudin, Principal, Anderson Intermediate School
• Ms. Rebecca Sears, Assistant Principal, Highland Middle School
• Mr. Sean White, Assistant Principal, Erskine Elementary School