Mayor Domenic J. Sarno was honored to join and bring greetings at Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall’s State of the Schools Address which was held on Friday, January 17, 2024 at St. Anthony’s Cedar’s Banquet Hall from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This was the first of its kind address by a Springfield Schools Superintendent.
School administrators, principals, and partners joined for the engaging program, along with state and city officials including State Representatives Carlos Gonzalez and Bud Williams, State Senator Adam Gomez, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Coochi, School Committeewomen Barbara Gresham and Denise Hurst, School Committee Chairwoman Latonia Monroe Naylor, City Councilor Tracye Whitfield, and Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers. Special thanks to the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts School Band for their performance and musical welcome. Our special guest host, Javian DeJesus, a student at Balliet Elementary did an outstanding job too.
While bringing together district leaders, educators, and community stakeholders to discuss the future of education in Springfield, Dr. Dinnall presented critical updates on district initiatives, celebrate recent achievements, and shared her visionary roadmap for continued success. The Address will center on her guiding theme, "Educating to Empower," a concept foundational to her leadership.
“The State of the Schools Address is an opportunity to reflect on our progress, celebrate our achievements, and reaffirm our commitment to empowering every student to succeed,” said Dr. Dinnall. “It is also a moment to inspire belief in a brighter future for Springfield - a future where education continues to transform lives and open doors of opportunity for all.”
Mayor Sarno states, “I would like to thank to Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall and the Springfield Public Schools staff for their continued leadership in innovative programs and initiatives for the benefit of our schools. Through the State of the Schools Address, we are able to evaluate our progress, celebrate our accomplishments, and reaffirm our commitment to providing every child with the resources they require to thrive. When I first took office as Mayor our graduation rate was hovering at just over 50%, and our dropout rate was around 14%. Now we have a graduation rate of 86% and a significantly lower dropout rate of 3%. My administration, working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, has also invested over $1 billion into building new schools and renovating existing schools – the most in the Commonwealth. I am also proud to say that our Springfield Public Schools were the first in the Commonwealth to offer a free universal full-day pre-K program. Retired School Superintendent Dan Warwick, the longest-serving urban superintendent in the Commonwealth’s history, has left a solid foundation which enables Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall to share her visionary strategy to move our school system to the next level. The possibilities are endless and the sky is the limit for our bright and talented young minds, and we will continue to emphasize that your zip code does not define who or what you are, or where you will go. Balliet Elementary’s Javian DeJesus is a shining example of Springfield’s bright future – he did an excellent job representing our student body today, along with the three student innovators who shared: Sci Tech’s Brianna Jones, Central’s Levi Williams Choate, and Commerce’s Ayanna Rodriguez. Keep up the great work!”
“While there is still much work to be done, I am confident that together, with Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall, our dedicated teachers and staff, and all of our community partners, our students and their families we will continue to move our Springfield Public Schools forward for the betterment of all.”
A recording of the event will be available on the Springfield Public Schools - Massachusetts website/YouTube channel:
https://www.springfieldpublicschools.com/.../state_of_the...
