Minuteman High Superintendent Honored For Commitment To Safety

LEXINGTON, MA — Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District Superintendent Edward A. Bouquillon was honored with the 11th annual Dr. Patrick A. Schettini Jr. Memorial Award by the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth.

The award recognizes Superintendent Bouquillon for his longstanding commitment to the safety of the students and staff at Minuteman.

More than 120 school superintendents, police chiefs and fire chiefs and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan came together virtually to honor Bouquillon in a remotely held ceremony on Tuesday. The annual event brings together staff from the district attorney's office, law enforcement, educators and community leaders to collaborate on student safety, juvenile justice and crime prevention strategies.

"The technology infrastructure of our new school building, along with our dedication to fostering a safe and welcoming environment, has allowed Minuteman to become a leader in school safety," Bouquillon said.

The Schettini Award, named after the late Reading Public Schools Superintendent, is presented annually to a school superintendent, fire chief or police chief for their commitment to the health and safety of students in their communities.

In selecting Bouquillon for the 2020 award, MPY cited his district's numerous use of security cameras, tap-card systems and other security features in the new Minuteman High School building that opened in September 2019.

"We are continually impressed with Minuteman's commitment to proactively address safety and social-emotional support for students," Daniels said. "Under Dr. Bouquillon's leadership, the lines of communication have always remained open between the school and law enforcement, and students receive the support they need."

Minuteman's response to COVID-19 was another reason MPY selected Bouquillon for the Schettini award. Shortly after schools closed in March, Minuteman donated more than 300 packages of personal protective equipment to the Lexington and Lincoln police and fire departments.

Bouquillon led an extensive effort to develop the hybrid learning model to safety reopen school this fall. His commitment to effective communications with families led to the creation of a video, linked here, about the new health and safety precautions, which was later shared by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as an example of highly effective digital communication.

Bouquillon had a building on campus reoutfitted to accommodate the children of teachers and staff members engaging in remote learning.