By Max Bowen
max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
At the end of the school year, it won’t just be the seniors that say goodbye to the North Attleborough Schools.
Director of Special Education Julieann Hoell will be stepping down on June 30, following a career in North Attleborough that began in 1999. In a letter to the School Committee, which she read from at the Dec. 11 meeting, Hoell said that when she took on the director’s role, she often wondered if she was up to the challenge.
“Over the years my confidence grew thanks to all I learned from each of the superintendents, principals and district leaders, teachers, therapists, parents and students that I was fortunate enough to work with,” she said.
Superintendent Scott Holcomb said Hoell is far more than a person who sits in the office. Since becoming director, he said Hoell made a lot of improvements and even as her time comes to a close, more are planned.
“She made a significant difference in their [the student’s] lives,” he said.
Hoell said that her decision to retire was not an easy one, and came about following some personal matters and heath issues, which gave her pause to reflect on what was important. Her priorities before the end of the school year include building a strong Special Education Leadership Team to carry out the work of the new director. She has also applied for a grant to allow for a liaison in each school to work with families who lack adequate housing or have food insecurities. She’ll also work to hire and support staff that will help students “reach their highest potential.”
Hoell said that she will greatly miss the job and thanked the committee for its support and trusting her and others at the schools to make decisions that impact the children. Hoell joked that when things in the office get difficult, she often tells her staff “we got this.”
“My staff told me they’ll miss that,” she said with a laugh.
