HOLYOKE — For the first time in 10 years, Holyoke Public Schools has started a new school year not under state control. Mayor Joshua Garcia talked about what residents and families can expect during an appearance on Reminder Publishing’s podcast, “So That Reminds Me.”
As of July 1, Holyoke Public Schools exited state receivership following an announcement made by Massachusetts Education Secretary and interim Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Dr. Patrick Tutwiler during the June 23 School Committee meeting and June 24 state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting.
The announcement follows a provisional determination in October 2024, by then-acting Commissioner Russell Johnston, to remove Holyoke Public Schools from chronically underperforming status and that the district would be ready if the School Committee completed its capacity building plan.
Since then, DESE has supported the School Committee as it completed a capacity building plan to return to local control.
Holyoke is the first school district to exit state receivership, and the district is under the School Committee’s governance as of July 1. DESE will continue to support and monitor the district’s progress under the terms of the exit assurances document that Tutwiler issued on April 28.
The exit assurances keep in place selected provisions of Holyoke Public Schools’ Turnaround Plan for a transitional period of up to two years after the department’s formal exit from receivership.
Residents, families, the Holyoke Teachers Association and Massachusetts Teachers Association expressed their concerns and displeasure with the exit assurances, stating that they had no little say in the process and the state still had too much control.
Garcia talked about Holyoke Public Schools no longer being under state control and cleared the air on the exit assurances.
“Even with the exit assurances, the school board has 100% control of the school district,” Garcia stated. “That means having control over the budget and budget decisions, having control over policies, having direct oversight and control of hiring and overseeing the superintendent.”
Garcia explained that the exit assurances were put in place in the transition process to make sure that when it comes to receivership, it’s meant to be temporary. The exit assurances are only good for up to two years.
“In this transition, there was a lot of buildup, but also some assurances just to make sure that the transition is smooth. It’s only good for up to two years as we continue the work that has been put in front of us in managing the school district,” Garcia stated.
Garcia talked about the work that has gone in to making sure the School Committee and leadership are ready to regain local control.
He said, “A lot of my committee members on the school board weren’t around when we were under local control so it could be a little overwhelming, and there was a lot of training that took place to prepare for this transition of control from one person, who was the commissioner of education and the secretary and the receiver, to an elected body.”
Anthony Soto, who served as receiver of the district since 2021, was appointed as interim superintendent for the 2025-26 school year by the School Committee.
At its July 21 meeting, the Holyoke School Committee voted to initiate a national search for the next leader of Holyoke Public Schools, with the goal of having that person in place on July 1, 2026.
Since being under state receivership, the district released a list of their accomplishments since 2015, which included an increase in the district’s four-year cohort graduation rate, a decrease in out-of-school suspension rates, and an increase in percentage of students in grades 11 and 12 completing advanced coursework.
Other accomplishments include an increase in the percentage of Hispanic/Latino students in grades 11 and 12 completing advanced coursework, the expansion of the district’s dual language program, the expansion of pre-K programming to offer more than 500 seats to families in 2024-25, through either district-operated or partner-operated classrooms.
The district has also redesigned Holyoke High School to offer a Freshman Academy for a more personalized entry to high school, as well as full enrollment in the career technical education pathways at the Holyoke High School Dean Campus, after nearly a decade of under enrollment.
The district has also been rezoned into separate elementary and middle schools, supported by the construction of a new middle school.
