LAWRENCE — The city’s public school system will remain in receivership but the state wants to “voluntarily dissolve” a local board and install a single receiver to oversee district improvements.
Lawrence Public Schools has been under state receivership since January 2012. A local board, the Lawrence Alliance for Education, has most recently been overseeing the process.
The LAE is now scheduled to discuss and vote on dismantling itself at a hybrid meeting Wednesday evening.
In a letter dated Friday to “members of the Lawrence community,” the state said it would be appointing a single receiver instead of the six-member LAE, which had been “the district’s state-appointed receiver since 2018.”
“As we work to move Lawrence Public Schools toward local control, I wanted to inform you of an upcoming change in the district’s leadership structure,” Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez wrote.
“…. given that our current focus is on building the capacity of the Lawrence School Committee to eventually lead the district, I believe that the district would be best served by an individual receiver who can more nimbly help the School Committee prepare for this work,” he wrote.
“This change is designed to support a thoughtful and phased-in transition while also allowing the work to move efficiently.”
Martinez said effective Thursday, Lauren Woo, deputy commissioner at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will assume the duties of receiver.
LPS Superintendent Ralph Carrero will continue to have the role and responsibilities of superintendent and will report to Woo, Martinez said.
State education officials voted in November 2011 that LPS would enter into receivership effective Jan. 1, 2012.
“I don’t see a path forward that has a likely outcome of positive results for students in Lawrence short of receivership,” said Mitchell Chester, then the state’s education commissioner.
Lawrence became the first district to be taken over by the state under its 2010 legislation, An Act Relative to the Achievement Gap.
As receiver, Woo is expected to oversee implementation of a district turnaround and provide direction on a capacity-building plan for the School Committee. Again, the change and “focus on building the School Committee’s capacity, signal another positive step toward local control,” Martinez wrote.
“The LAE provided steady leadership through the pandemic and other challenges,” he said.
Martinez extended his appreciation to the LAE Board members; Dolores Calaf, Edgar DeLeon, Chairwoman Patricia Mariano, Juana Matias, Maria Moeller and Mayor Brian A. DePeña.
He also said he looks forward to working with the new School Committee members; Michael Armano, Donna Bertolino, Quin Gonell, Jonathan Guzman, Jessica Ramirez, Jesus Suriel and DePeña.
“This marks a victory we have been advocating for since 2018, and it has finally been achieved,” Guzman wrote in a social media post.
“While this step brings hope, we will remain vigilant to ensure it represents a genuine transition, and not the beginning of another prolonged 14-year period,” he wrote.
The LAE meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the South Lawrence East School at 165 Crawford St.
Those wishing to comment in person can sign up to do so at the start of the meeting or by emailing lae@lawrence.k12.ma.us no later than 2 p.m. Wednesday.
The meeting will be live streamed on LPS Facebook and YouTube pages.
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter/X @EagleTribJill and on Threads at jillyharma.