Hatfield School Committee awards retroactive pay to 13 support staff

HATFIELD -- June 8, 2022, Hatfield School Committee votes to pay retroactive stipends to 13 underpaid support workers. The committee unanimously approved a flat $175 stipend for 13 education support professionals whose hourly wages had fallen below the district's revised $14.25 minimum since January, with payment due by June 30. Chair Christy Boudreau called it money that "made me happier" to spend than any other this year; HCA president John Garrett had spoken during public comment calling retroactive pay "a matter of support for those that support our students." The board also passed chromebook and admissions policies on their third reading, reduced the summer warrant-signature requirement from three committee members to two through the September meeting, approved $17,960.19 in year-end budget transfers, and adopted a minor December calendar amendment. Superintendent Herb Wood presented a first-draft district improvement plan, covering leadership, student achievement, technology, and sustainability, slated to return for work sessions in July and August; members pressed for interim milestones rather than a single 2025 end date, particularly on sustainability amid ongoing enrollment concerns.