Braintree School Committee Elects Rollo Chair, Approves Trimmed High School Course Catalog

BRAINTREE — January 12, 2026 — Braintree School Committee reorganizes under new chair, approves high school course catalog, and hears facilities crisis update. Member Christopher Rollo was elected chair by unanimous acclamation at the January 12 meeting, with Member Mark Kirsberg elected vice chair by acclamation and Member Joe Fogarty elected recording secretary by a four-to-three vote over Member Rachel Horak. The committee unanimously approved the Braintree High School Program of Studies for 2026-2027, a document that removes approximately 13 courses — including AP Music Theory, Exploring Computer Science, Arabic, and Latin — while adding Guitar Ensemble and Learn to Jam 2; Principal Brian Couther cited staffing constraints, saying plainly, "We could use positions." Consultants from ERS and Perkins Eastman previewed a public facilities dashboard at bpsfacilitiesplannedashboard.com showing a district-wide deferred maintenance backlog estimated at roughly $97.8 million against a five-year capital plan allocating only about $8 million to school buildings, and warned the committee that long-term facilities options — likely including closing at least two sites and modernizing the high school — will "require additional short-term investment," probably through a debt exclusion or Proposition 2½ override vote; formal recommendations are expected by the end of February.