Supt. Dr. Pia Durkin

Lots of buzz within social media over an incident at New Bedford's Hayden McFadden School. A child finds what some are claiming to be a syringe in the playground and jabs another student several times, with the needle. The school Superintendent tells a different story...

The Superintendent of the New Bedford School District says school has been canceled on Thursday because of extreme cold temperatures. Temperatures are expected to drop to near zero tonight and early Thursday. Supterintendent Dr. Pia Durkin said in a written statement, officials decided to close the schools out of concern for children who walk to school or wait at bus stops...

New Bedford High School will be the scene of a graduation ceremony on Thursday. Twenty-six students who, for whatever reason failed to attain enough credits to graduate back in June, attended classes this summer to qualify for their diplomas...

The New Bedford School Department's first online community survey attracted 900 responses from parents, staff members, students and other interested parties. Results of the survey were presented to the School Committee last night. Seventy-one percent of the respondents said they supported the district's turnaround strategy, but a large number, 57%, rated the school district either fair or poor...

Following an apparent bullying incident this month at Normandin Middle School where a student was seriously hurt, Supt. Pia Durkin is planning a forum to discuss school violence. Durkin says an anti-bullying program is stressed in all middle schools, but schools can't do it alone...

School Superintendent Dr. Pia Durkin says she's aware of a video which shows a New Bedford High student slamming a chair into a teachers desk, after the teacher refused to return his phone she had confiscated earlier. Durkin says that level of anger will not be tolerated in any classroom in New Bedford...

School Supt. Dr. Pia Durkin is reaching out to students and parents, looking to gain support for the turnaround plan for New Bedford High School.  The plan includes replacing 29% of the school's teachers and staff members.  Durkin told the School Committee, she'll be meeting Tuesday morning with a Student Advisory Group to get their reaction...

The President of the New Bedford Educators Association is asking his members to withdraw their support from the United Way of Greater New Bedford and other businesses and organizations that signed a newspaper ad in support of Supt. Pia...

Mayor Jon Mitchell says he wants safe schools in the City of New Bedford, and he believes Superintendent. Dr. Pia Durkin and her staff are working to make that happen.  The Mayor says after several altercations between students and teachers at New Bedford High School, the Superintendent made some changes........