Back to school: “We’re ready to go”
Published 12:37 pm Friday, August 7, 2026
QUINCY — Some Quincy Public Schools (QPS) students head back to class on Friday for the 2026-27 school year.
Incoming kindergartners at all elementary buildings, sixth-graders at Quincy Junior High, and ninth-graders at Quincy High School start school a day ahead of other students to smooth the transition to new buildings.
“It really will be sort of an orientation day for students starting at a new learning environment,” QPS Director of Teaching and Learning Kim Dinkheller said. “It’s really beneficial to get those kids acclimated. It gives opportunities for those kids to get an understanding of where they’re going to be, get attention, get questions asked, and it’s not as overwhelming.”
All students will be back in class starting Monday, Aug. 17.
QPS begins the year more settled than a year ago when the district began school with an interim superintendent and a search to fill the top job.
“Having a new superintendent is a new transition, but this year doesn’t seem quite as hectic as last year when there were many changes,” Dinkheller said. “This year, we feel much more settled and ready to go.”
Along with Superintendent Larry Gray, QPS added two new administrators for the 2026-27 year. Richard Pugh takes over as principal at Baldwin Elementary following the retirement of Jim Sohn, and Christina Meyer heads The Academy after the retirement of Marcey Wells.
New staff members worked with teacher mentor coordinator Marilyn Smith and other QPS leaders during this week’s induction for new hires, and all teachers and staff will be in buildings on Wednesday and Thursday for institute days designed to “get ready to welcome back kids,” Dinkheller said. “I think we’re ready to go.”
QPS again opens the year still looking to fill teaching and staff positions.
“We have been aware of openings throughout the summer. Some of them we’ve been able to put long-term subs in place or shift some things around in some places to ensure we’re still providing the instruction students need and services they need,” Dinkheller said. “We’re not alone in this. A lot of schools are struggling to find teachers. Everybody is having to make some shifts on the fly.”
Teachers at the Early Childhood and Family Center will work with a new Frog Street curriculum in the 2026-27 school year. The curriculum, piloted last year, incorporates literacy, math, science, social-emotional learning, social studies, gross motor, and fine motor learning and could better prepare students for kindergarten.
Quincy Junior High teachers will pilot new English language arts and math curricula. Teachers will work with the Savvas 2025 myPerspectives and CommonLit 360 ELA curricula, and the McGraw Hill Reveal Math, which already is used in K-5 classrooms, and Mid School Math’s Core Curriculum. Monthly teacher surveys, quarterly student surveys, and opportunities for parents to share feedback will provide input during the pilot.
Dinkheller urges students and families to welcome the start of the school year.
“It’s a new year, a fresh start, a way to continue the success that your children have had in past years,” she said. “If there hasn’t been some great things, a new year always brings a fresh start, an opportunity for new learning, new friends, new opportunities. Welcome it with open arms like we do. We’re excited to have kids back.”
