The School Committee meeting Thursday night lasted for more than three hours. Below are five topics that earned the most discussion. 

1. As a part of the ongoing project of dealing with the Center School, Superintendent Jonathan Landman announced that he will not be recertifying the previous statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Landman said he would update and resubmit the previous statement to fall in line with feedback from community discussions. Landman will present a draft at one of the upcoming meetings in December.

2. Jean Vazza, of the Hopkinton Youth Services Department, and Danielle Petrucci, wellness coordinator of Hopkinton Public Schools, presented the committee with some of the results from the 2010 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey. They covered substance issues as well as mental and physical health at the middle and high school level. They will present their findings before the entire community at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 in the high school auditorium.

3. The committee approved a new position in the schools for a second board certified behavior analyst (BCBA). The system currently has one BCBA but due to an influx of students she is stretched thin and has been unable to meet all of the needs of the system.

4. The committee unanimously approved the contract for Mary Ann DeMello, who was approved as the district's new assistant superintendent at the last meeting. DeMello will begin the first week in January.

5. After a major leak in the Hopkins School water heater in early November, the School Committee approved the emergency use of funds to replace it. The heater was replaced several days after the leak began with a domestic hot water boiler and tank, but due to the span of time between meetings this was the first chance the committee had to officially approve the use of the money. The new boiler is more efficient and the total cost was $23,500.