State to cede control of Holyoke public schools back to city

Holyoke Public Schools is set to exit state receivership on July 1, becoming the first school district in Massachusetts to do so after a decade of state control.

Education Secretary and interim Commissioner for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Patrick Tutwiler sent a letter to Holyoke's mayor, Joshua Garcia, and school receiver, Anthony Soto, on Monday informing them of the return to local control.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education took the Holyoke schools into the controversial and rarely used receivership model in April 2015, citing "chronic underperformance" in indicators such as test scores and graduation rates. Holyoke, Lawrence and Southbridge are the only communities where a state-appointed "receiver" makes decisions about the district, with powers exceeding those of the locally elected school committee.

Former interim Commissioner Russell Johnston announced the district was on an exit path from receivership last fall.

"Based upon the evidence of progress that [Holyoke School Committee's] Local Control Subcommittee has presented to Acting Commissioner Johnston and now myself, I am confident that the HSC is well prepared to resume local governance of the district, with transitional supports provided by the exit assurances," Tutwiler's letter to Garcia and Soto said.

The takeovers are controversial in a state with a tradition of local control, and all three districts have high percentages of students of color, English language learners and special education students.

"This is a proud day for Holyoke," Garcia, who also chairs the School Committee, said in a statement. "Our dedicated educators, resilient students, supportive families, and engaged community have united to drive this success, reflecting our shared commitment to the bright future of our schools."

Gov. Maura Healey's office said the district raised its graduation rate from 60.2% in 2014 to 77.1% in 2024, which includes a 32-point gain for English learners and a 31-point gain for students with disabilities. Out-of-school suspensions decreased from 20% in the 2013-2014 school year to 9% in 2022-2023.

The percentage of Hispanic/Latino students in upper grades completing advanced coursework increased from 32.2% in 2018 to 54.6% this year, and the district's dual language program expanded to serve more than 20% of the pre-K through 8th grade student population. The district also rezoned into separate elementary and middle schools and is opening a new middle school next fall.

"This historic decision honors the entire Holyoke community, and particularly the students, families, educators, staff and leaders who have carried forward the district's transformational efforts over the past ten years," Tutwiler wrote in his letter.

DESE will continue to monitor the district's progress under the terms of "exit assurances" that Tutwiler issued in April, which includes requirements for a two-year transition period.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association, the largest teachers union in the state, objected to exit assurances related to collective bargaining agreements, calling them a "new form of receivership" in a statement.

Under Tutwiler's two-year transition exit plan, the district's receiver developed a new compensation system "which was implemented after consultation with the union," the plan says. "While the professional compensation system may be modified in consultation with the union, it must maintain a career path as a specific component, where employees are compensated based on individual effectiveness, professional growth, and student academic growth," it says.

"Until members of the Holyoke Teachers Association have their full bargaining rights restored, Holyoke’s public schools remain in a form of state control and severed from the community," the MTA said. "As DESE prepares to replace a state-appointed receiver with a superintendent and restore some authority to the School Committee, educators are being unjustly cut out of the decision-making process. In this scenario, the community loses a powerful advocate for students and their needs."

Since announcing Holyoke's exit from receivership, Lawrence has also made preliminary preparations for its own city to regain local control. Lawrence got a home rule petition through the State House earlier this year to replace some elected seats on the school board with committee members appointed by the City Council, which supporters said would provide a more stable pathway for the district to make the transition.