Press Release: 6/24/2025

Holyoke Public Schools Will Exit Receivership on July 1

 



Announcement follows work by School Committee, Mayor and District; Holyoke is the first school district to exit state receivership 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



6/23/2025



MEDIA CONTACT



Jacqueline Reis



 Phone



Call Jacqueline Reis at 781-338-3115



 Online



Email Jacqueline Reis at jreis@doe.mass.edu



HOLYOKE — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced this evening that Holyoke Public Schools will exit state receivership and return to local control on July 1. The announcement follows a provisional determination in October that the district would be ready if the School Committee completed its capacity building plan.



“Holyoke has worked hard to regain local control of its schools, and this is a great moment for the city, students, educators and families,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I’m grateful for the leadership of Mayor Joshua Garcia, the Holyoke School Committee and the educators of Holyoke for partnering with our administration to prepare for this milestone, and I’m confident that they will continue to successfully move the district forward.”



“Holyoke is the first school district to exit state receivership, and they should take pride in that accomplishment,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “With the support of local elected officials and DESE, and with Anthony Soto leading the district as interim superintendent, families can expect a smooth transition.”  



“While school improvement work will continue in Holyoke, it is time for local officials to take the lead,” said Education Secretary Patrick A. Tutwiler, who also serves as interim commissioner. “Community stakeholders have consistently shared their input into the district’s decision-making processes, and the School Committee partnered with a Community Advisory Team as part of the capacity-building plan. This experience is a strong foundation for the district’s future.” 



“This is a proud day for Holyoke,” said Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, who also chairs the School Committee. “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.”



As a result of the combined leadership of school and district leaders, educators, parents and students, the district’s accomplishments since 2015 include: 




  • An increase in the district’s four-year cohort graduation rate from 60.2 percent 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 over the same time period;

  • A reduction of the out-of-school suspension rate from 20.0 percent in 2013-14 to 9.8 percent in 2023-24; 

  • An increase in the percentage of students in grades 11 and 12 completing advanced coursework from 39.5 percent in 2018 to 57.0 percent in 2024; 

  • A gap-narrowing increase in the percentage of Hispanic/Latino students in grades 11 and 12 completing advanced coursework, from 32.2 percent in 2018 to 54.6 percent in 2024;

  • Expansion of the district’s dual language program to serve more than 20 percent of the pre-K-8 student population; 

  • 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 redesign of Holyoke High School to offer a Freshman Academy for a more personalized entry to high school, as well as theme-based academies and career technical education pathways designed to ignite student interest and connect learning to the real world; 

  • Full enrollment in the career technical education pathways at the Holyoke High School Dean Campus since the 2021-22 school year, after nearly a decade of under-enrollment; and 

  • The rezoning of the district into separate elementary and middle schools, supported by the construction of a new middle school that is scheduled to open in fall 2025.  



"The Holyoke School Committee and Local Control Subcommittee worked very hard to get to this day, but we know our work is just beginning,” said Dr. Yadilette Rivera Colón, vice chair of the School Committee. "I'm confident that our Holyoke community will continue to come together in strong support of our students and their success."    

 



Holyoke Public Schools serve approximately 4,800 students in preschool through grade 12 and has been in chronically underperforming status(receivership) since 2015. On October 29, 2024, then Acting Commissioner Johnston announced his provisional decision to remove Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) from chronically underperforming status. Since then, DESE has supported the School Committee as they completed a capacity building plan to return to local control. The district will be under the School Committee’s governance as of July 1.  



Anthony Soto has served as receiver of the district since 2021. On May 12, the School Committee ratified a contract to keep him as interim superintendent for the 2025-26 school year. 



The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will continue to support and monitor the district’s progress under the terms of the exit assurancesdocument that Interim Commissioner Tutwiler issued on April 28. This document keeps in place selected provisions of Holyoke Public Schools’ Turnaround Plan for a transitional period of up to two years after the district’s formal exit from receivership. The exit assurances address areas including professional development for educators; the creation and implementation of an early literacy plan; two-way communication with families, including families who do not speak English; policies related to teaching and learning time; and educator compensation and evaluation. 



More information about the district’s transition to local control is available on the Holyoke Public Schools website.