Michelle Ayer to leave Hingham school committee after nine years

HINGHAM — School Committee Vice Chair Michelle Ayer has announced that she will not run for re-election, ending her nine-year tenure when her term expires in May. During her time with the committee, the town opened a new elementary school, worked through the Covid-19 pandemic and expanded the school budget from $49.7 million to $70.3 million.

School committee members and State Senator Patrick O’Connor thanked Ayer for her “time, energy and expertise” and described her as guiding the district through “leadership transitions, complex budget decisions and unprecedented times” during the meeting April 13.

In an interview with the South Shore Times, Ayer pointed to the construction of Foster Elementary School and the operating override for fiscal year 2024 as key moments for the school committee during her three terms.

She also noted that the school district’s multi-tiered support system is a particular point of pride saying, “all of the services that we're able to provide to students to make sure that they can have the best outcome from their education, it's been a real focus of the district over the last nine years, and it's really paid off well.”

O’Connor visited the meeting to present Ayer with a citation made by the senate in her honor as recognition for “outstanding dedication and service.” He also commended the school committee for its handling of division and misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I'm so happy that you're able to close this chapter with such success,” he said.
O’Connor and Ayer agreed that the state provided little guidance to local school leadership during the pandemic, and Ayer said that the community was divided about the right ways to serve students. “But in the end,” she said, “people really did come together. I was incredibly impressed with what the families did to help support the schools at the time, the creativity that the staff and leadership had.”

“It's very easy to get wrapped up in the gossip, the rumors, the grownups and what they're asking. But at the end of the day, remembering that it's their children that we are focusing on,” she said. “So, whenever we would make a decision, that's what we would come back to. What is going to be the best thing for the kids?”

School Committee Chair Jen Benham said she calculated that Ayer has attended 855 committee and subcommittee meetings over the last nine years. “I am rethinking all my life choices,” Ayer joked.

“You've represented many times with difficult decisions, long nights, and an unwavering dedication to doing what is best for students,” Benham said. “You approached every issue with thoughtfulness, professionalism, and a clear focus on students.”

Ayer called serving on the school committee “one of the greatest honors of my life” and thanked fellow school committee members, school staff and Hingham community members in a closing speech.

“We didn't always agree. But we have always respected and really lifted each other up during difficult times,” she said of school committee leadership. “You have really taught me incredible lessons on how to see the light even on the worst days. And just to hint, it's definitely visiting the preschool.”

Ayer’s youngest child graduated out of the district during her first term, and she said it was time for “someone else who was a little closer to what the students are going through now” to step into her role.

“For anybody who is thinking about doing this, it is so worthwhile,” she said. “You get a lot more out of it than you give to it.”

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